Harry Potter and the Divine Plan
by Corruo
Summary: It is said that there is a Plan governing the workings of the world. When one being throws the Plan into chaos, it falls upon Harry Potter to set things right, or allow the world to fall into darkness. H/Hr, AU after OotP. Rated for language and violence.
1. A Prophecy Fulfilled

Author's Note: This is my first fic, so please review it so I know what I need to change. I have the first several chapters planned out and a couple written. I know the first couple of chapters are short, but as I said, this is my first fic, so I am getting warmed up. Please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1

A Prophecy Fulfilled

Twenty year old Harry Potter watched as his best friend of nearly ten years was struck dead by her husband, and Harry's now ex-best mate Ron Weasley, while shielding Harry from a deadly curse that Ron had aimed at Harry. She had died to save him. Ron and Hermione had married over two years prior, just over a year after graduating from Hogwarts, and everyone present at that event believed that the two would be perfect for each other. After all, if they had been best friends for years, they must make a perfect couple, or so ran the common logic. Where it had all gone wrong was now anybody's guess, but Harry had begun to notice changes in Ron's behavior a couple of years before. He began to associate with shadier characters, and was frequently seen poring over books on the Dark Arts. Ron had dismissed all of this as an attempt to get inside information on the operations of Lord Voldemort, as well as researching tactics for defeating him. As he had never shown any leanings towards the Dark, Harry and Hermione had accepted this explanation without reservation. But now those pieces began to fall into place along with other seemingly minor details that were easily overlooked, such as Ron's tendency of the past few years to largely wear long-sleeved shirts, even during the summer, as well as unexplained absences at least once per week.

Harry knelt down to cradle the now lifeless body of the woman he had secretly fallen for years ago, and looked up to see her husband with a proud smirk on his face. It was now clear where Ron's loyalties lie, despite his years of service to the Order of the Phoenix. But Harry had wanted Hermione to be happy, and because he saw that she appeared to be content with Ron, he had not taken any action to discourage it, even going so far as to serve as Ron's best man during the wedding. Harry had noticed as time went on however, that Hermione did not seem as elated as he would have thought. Sure, she seemed content in her new life, but the more enthusiastic side of her personality that Harry had come to love during school seemed absent. Harry had passed it off as stress due to the escalating war, but now he wondered whether or not it may have been something more, whether or not she had really been happy, whether or not this was the life that she really wanted. These thoughts began to lead Harry down a dangerous road as he thought of what might have been if only he had been completely honest with her about how he felt. She may still have been alive.

However much Harry may have wanted to grieve at that moment, he couldn't. Hermione was only one more fatality on a day marked with death and destruction. The grounds of Hogwarts castle were almost literally running red with the blood of fallen comrades and enemies, from a battle that was supposed to end a six-year old war. Among the dead Harry could see friends, such as Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom, as well as countless members of the Order, including Minerva McGonagall, Hagrid, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. However, the fact that Lord Voldemort had not appeared during the fight meant that their sacrifices might have been in vain, and that the war would continue to another day, and more innocent lives would be lost. It was this thought that snapped Harry out of his reverie, and back to the reality at hand. He calmly stood up and fingered his wand, giving Ron a look that could kill the undead, causing a brief look of fear to cross the face of his enemy, but that look quickly passed, replaced by one of triumph.

"Stupid mudblood whore got in the way," Ron explained with a shrug. The fact that he didn't even care that his spouse was dead only seemed to enrage Harry more.

"Dammit Ron, she was your wife!" Harry shouted aiming his wand squarely between the eyes of his one-time friend.

"Yes, well I certainly played the part well, didn't I Potter? At least I got to enjoy her for a few years before she outlived her usefulness. Face it, you had everything I wanted, the fame, the glory, and I could see that you had your sights set on the girl too. I had to move to claim her before you did, and it just so happened that she fit in with the Dark Lord's plans perfectly. Pity she had to end up like this, but she was fun while she lasted." Ron paused to let it all sink in, and then opened his mouth to continue, but Harry didn't let him, as he sent a silent Reducto curse right at his former friend's head. Had Harry been paying more attention instead of focusing on his seething rage, he would have heard, at the exact moment the curse left his wand, a soft pop behind him.

As Ron Weasley looked into the swirling tempest in the eyes of Harry Potter, his entire life up to that point flashed through his mind, all leading to one final question- had he made the right choice? But as the spell left Harry's wand, Ron allowed a small smile to grace his face, as he realized it had all been worth it. He had served his master faithfully for over four years, and now, as he saw how events were destined to play out, he saw that his sacrifice would be the catalyst for his master's rise to power. The last thing that Ron Weasley ever heard was not Harry Potter casting a Reducto at his head, but instead two simple words uttered by a voice directly behind Harry.

"Avada Kedavra," hissed the snakelike voice. Harry's brain barely registered the sound of the curse heading for him, as time seemed to slow down all around him. For one brief moment, Harry Potter thought he heard a mystical voice in his mind whispering to him- whispering a line he had repeated to himself countless times over the years.

"…_and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…" _whispered the ethereal voice, as Harry watched Ron's head explode in a shower of gore as the first curse impacted. That was the last Harry saw, before his vision went black.

Ron Weasley was dead. Hermione Granger was dead. But so was Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived was dead at the hands of his long-time nemesis, Lord Voldemort, victim to a surprise attack from behind. The Prophecy created twenty years prior, but heard only by a few, had been fulfilled.


	2. The Best Laid Plans

Chapter 2

The Best Laid Plans…

Harry Potter was falling. Or was he spinning? He just couldn't tell. The last thing he remembered was Voldemort cursing him from behind, then blackness. The blackness had been so inviting at the time, and that feeling of comfort is what was preventing him from opening his eyes and take in his surroundings. Suddenly, the odd sensation stopped. Curious, Harry opened his eyes to see nothing but pure, almost blinding whiteness. Suddenly, Harry could feel an extremely powerful presence near him, so he slowly turned around, only to come face to face with the last person he expected. Standing in front of him was Sirius Black.

"Welcome to the afterlife Harry. You're dead." Sirius stated simply.

"Sirius, what is going on?" Harry asked, trying to somehow wrap his head around his surroundings.

"It's simple really. You're dead, the result of a momentary distraction that you allowed yourself to fall prey to. But the one detail I forgot to mention was that I am not Sirius Black. I simply chose this form as he was your first and only real father figure-the one person who you looked up to so much that his death nearly drove you to suicide. You may be asking yourself I know this," Sirius said with a small chuckle, "let's just say that I know everything that has happened and will happen to you. Simply put, I am God."

"What do you mean 'everything that will happen' to me? I thought I was dead. How can I have a future if I'm dead?" Harry asked.

"Well, to answer your questions, I am going to have to start at the beginning, and that can be a long story. But we have all the time in the world now, don't we? By the way, you may call me Sirius during all of this, as it will allow you some sort of anchor to your past life." Sirius paused to conjure a large book out of thin air, and placed it on a table that had likewise appeared out of nowhere. "Harry, what you see before you is The Book of Designs. In this tome is the entire life history of every person who has ever been born or will be born. Before their birth, I plan out their lives so that they may live fulfilling lives. However, this book is not set in stone. Changes can be made in your reality that can drastically alter the plans that I have laid out. This is what happened in your life, and is consequently why you are here now."

"But how can somebody know what was planned for my life if it is written in that book and cannot be seen by human eyes?"

"Be patient Harry, I was getting there," Sirius lectured. "In my original design, you were destined to become the most powerful living wizard without any interference. There would be no prophecy hanging over your head, no Dark Lord to defeat. Your parents were not meant to be killed that night so many years ago. You were to find love, get married, have a family, before having a long career teaching at Hogwarts, before taking the position of Headmaster at the school. However, even the best laid plans can be foiled."

Harry was taken aback. He could have grown up with his parents, he could have had a normal childhood and life free from the influence of Voldemort, without a prophecy breathing down his neck, reminding him that he could die any day. "But then what went wrong to screw everything up as much as it was?" Harry asked simply, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Ah, that is what causes our story to get interesting. Even though you cannot see them, right now you are surrounded by a host of angels-my followers, who are sent out to make minor changes and set events back on the right path, should they stray. Nearly eighty years ago, one of my angels became discontented with his existence as a servant to myself, eventually abandoning his post to descend to Earth and inhabit the body of a newborn baby. As an angel, he had access to The Book of Designs, so he knew the future of every person who was to exist. His goal was to become the greatest wizard on Earth, and eventually take over there, in order to show me that he was better than the job that I had given him. Due to the fact that he had permanently inhabited the body of a newborn baby, already essentially killing the soul that was originally in that body, the angel was forced to live the difficult life that was laid out for that person. In essence, the baby, Tom Marvolo Riddle, died at birth, replaced by an evil spirit. Eventually, Tom was destined to live a prosperous life, but the manipulations of the angel caused irreparable damage to that Plan, beginning a ripple effect that continues to this day. Eventually, Tom became powerful enough to abandon his muggle name and replace it with his original angel name: Voldemort."

Shock did not begin to describe the feeling that Harry was experiencing at this point. He had just found out the Voldemort was a fallen angel who had infinite knowledge about the future. But how then had he failed in accomplishing his goals? If he knew everything, it should have been an easy task to gain control over the entire world. Harry decided it was better to not ask and allow Sirius to continue on his own.

"Those are very good questions Harry," Sirius replied to the unasked questions with a smile. "Remember, I know everything, including what you are thinking. Don't worry, I will get there in time. Suffice it to say that I was not willing to take the manipulations lying down. Instead, I sent angels to make small changes to your reality, in an attempt to correct the damage. As Voldemort had chosen as a vessel the last heir of Salazar Slytherin, I needed to find a hero who would be able to match, if not exceed that heredity. Before I go any further, I need to briefly explain that a person's magical power potential is directly related to their ancestry. While most magical people in Britain are descended from one of the four founders in some capacity, there are very few who are their true heirs in the magical sense. Tom Riddle was one of them. If a person is a direct magical descendant of one of the four most powerful witches and wizards in history, then their magical potential is greater than others." Sirius paused to let this new information sink in before continuing.

"In order to soundly defeat Voldemort in the form of one magical heir, I concluded that I would need to have two working against him. You are one of those heirs. One of the minor changes we made to the Plan was to create a 'prophecy' about you in order to let others who were fighting against Voldemort to know who their hero would be. However, Voldemort found out about part of the prophecy and acted on it, killing your parents. I directly intervened and spared your life from the killing curse, using the pure love your mother felt for you as a shield. Voldemort was banished for many years as a result. I know that you already know about that part, and by now you have already figured out that you are the magical heir to Godric Gryffindor, who was also the first Headmaster of Hogwarts. You are a not only a direct descendant of his, but also the last of his line and heir to his magical potential, which was why you were to be so perfect for that position later in your life." Harry had many questions after this revelation, despite the fact that he had his suspicions years earlier. However, his mind was spinning with all of this new information, he could not get his thoughts in order to figure out his first real question.

Sirius saw the overwhelmed look on Harry's face and decided he had to say something before Harry became too lost in his own mind. "Harry, I still have a long way to go, so why don't you wait to ask any questions until the end, alright?"

Harry gulped an nodded slowly, trying to figure out exactly how much more information he could take. He was starting to figure out that his whole life up until this point was essentially a lie, or at least a pale shadow of the life he could have had.

Sirius interrupted that train of thought, "Your entire life was not a lie Harry, but you are more correct in your second assumption that it was not everything it could have been. But back to my explanation. For the second heir, I chose someone who would be a perfect match for you in every way. With your Gryffindor courage, I knew I would need the heir of Rowena Ravenclaw and the intelligence and patience that went with it. I also knew that it would need to be a person who you would be entirely comfortable around, and that this partnership would need to be a complete partnership in every sense of the word, on that would stand the test of time. We chose a person who you would fall in love with, so that you would be completely trusting of each other, and would be willing to spend the rest of your lives together. Yes Harry, the heir of Ravenclaw is Hermione Granger."

It was starting to all make sense now to Harry. His feelings for Hermione, the fact that they always got along so well together, the fact that she was always the voice of reason to his brash courage. Everything was beginning to fall into place. But why didn't they get together? Why did things turn out the way they did? Harry decided to ask, despite the feeling that the story wasn't over yet. "Sirius, why didn't things go according to plan? Hermione and I never got together. Why?"

Sirius's face saddened somewhat. "As much as it pains me to say it, that is actually your fault Harry. A lot of this can be blamed on the corruption of the Plan by Voldemort. However, you never acted on your attraction to Hermione, and instead allowed your other best friend, Ron Weasley, to slowly be influenced by the suggestions of Voldemort who, wanting to separate you from Hermione, convinced Ron that she was what he really wanted, and that it would be a perfect way to get back at you. In essence, he played off of Ron's preexisting character flaw of intense jealousy. By not acting sooner, you let Ron get to her, and you lost her forever. But if it is any consolation, she was never happy with him. Like you, we planned it out for her to be partnered with someone who matched her perfectly-you. She was in love with you, but got tired of waiting for you to make the first move, so she naively went along with the first person to show an interest in her: Ron. However, as you can no doubt remember, her true feelings for you came out in her final act. She loved you enough to give her own life to save yours." At this point, Harry was barely able to keep the tears at bay, as he now knew that his love was not unrequited. This information also served to reinforce Harry's feelings of guilt-he could have prevented her from dying.

"All of this brings us to the present time. After killing you, Voldemort went on to take control of all of Britain. Without you to fight him, one by one nations will fall, and within a few years, Voldemort will be the supreme being on Earth, with all other humans, magical and not, as slaves beneath him. Earlier you asked how you had a future. You now know that events have not unfolded as they were meant to. I am going to give you the chance to go back and have a second chance at life. When you leave this place, you will be sent back to just after your eleventh birthday, right before you met Hermione. You will retain all memories, knowledge, and abilities you have now, so that you are better equipped to change events. I know that you had a difficult time your first time through, with all of the various challenges that Voldemort threw your way in order to kill you, so I will be providing you with additional help in the form of more allies. I will not tell you who these might be at this time, however, I do ask that you keep an open mind. You may find allies in places you least expect them, enemies where you would not have thought to look earlier, and family where none existed before." This last statement confused Harry, who could not figure out if he was to have a figurative family or a literal one.

"Harry, do not dwell too long on such matters. Trust me and my judgment. As I was saying, you will retain your memories. However, so as not to appear too out of place, memories more relevant to your current time will be more easily accessible. In other words, while you will still remember everything if you concentrate, your mind will be in a similar state to where it was when you were younger, with memories of your childhood and upbringing being on the forefront. I also suggest that you not make too many drastic changes too soon, as you do not know what the long-term effects might be. But please do make changes. That is why I am sending you back. Oh, and one more thing. When you entered this place, the Horcrux inside of you was destroyed. Evil cannot exist here. However, I have left the abilities bestowed upon you by the Horcrux, such the ability to speak Parseltougue, intact, as they will be useful to you. Also, the connection to Voldemort, through your scar, remains, but he will no longer be able to possess you. Well, that about wraps up my story. Now do you have any questions Harry?"

"Just one. Am I allowed to tell anyone the truth? Some of my abilities are too advanced for a boy of eleven. There are bound to be some people who get suspicious," asked Harry.

"There is no rule against telling others. However, be very careful about who you tell. You and I both know that you will tell Hermione, and in time, that will become necessary. But be very selective about who you tell, as you never know who is listening, and Voldemort has ears everywhere," replied Sirius.

"I am going to send you back now Harry. Remember to keep a level head. I know that during this second chance at life, there will be times when you will need guidance. You need only look to the partner that I have set aside for you. She was chosen for a reason, for she has wisdom beyond her years. But if you are very lucky, I may drop in to say hello, from time to time. Good luck, and God bless," Sirius added with a grin.

In an instant, Sirius was gone, leaving Harry alone in the vast expanse. Suddenly it began to spin again, as it did when he first arrived. Slowly the dizziness began to overwhelm him, and Harry again found himself succumbing to the darkness.


	3. Welcome to Diagon Alley

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first two chapters. As this is my first fic, any and all feedback is appreciated. As for this chapter, it isn't as long as I would have liked, but it is mainly a review of Harry's first trip to Diagon Alley, with a few minor changes. Also, I tried my best on getting Hagrid's speech right, but I'm not sure how I did, even though I looked over _Philosophers/Sorcerers Stone_ again to see how Rowling handled it. As a final note, I do not own Harry Potter, the characters, or the universe.

A few more notes:

This story is AU and basically throws out canon after OotP, with the exception of the Horcuxes, and the Deathly Hallows (the objects, not the book). Dumbledore is still alive (in the chapter 1 timeline). The Horcrux hunt still took place as described in DH, but in my world, the final battle did not take place for several more years (see chapter 1).

In this chapter, Harry's shopping trip in Diagon Alley will be briefly shown. I didn't want to dwell too much on the minute details here, especially since a good portion of it would have been repeating the writings of Rowling in different words. Anything not mentioned here went exactly the same as described in PS/SS.

I hope to have Chapter 4 up tomorrow with any luck.

Chapter 3

Welcome to Diagon Alley

As Harry opened his eyes again, a dizzy spell swept over him, causing him to trip and fall onto the ground.

"Yeh alrigh' there Harry?" boomed a voice next to him. Harry looked up into the face of his first friend, one who had fallen in the Final Battle.

"Fine, Hagrid. I just tripped is all," Harry replied. It was true. Now that he thought about it, he had tripped over his own feet-he was used to his adult body, not that of an eleven year old. Harry thought for now it would be best to act naturally and not arouse any suspicion. For good measure, he took a look at the parchment in his hands, which turned out to be his Hogwarts letter and supply list. "Can we find all this in London?"

"If yeh know where to go," Hagrid answered.

The two walked on for some time before coming to a run-down, ramshackle building with a small sign that said simply "The Leaky Cauldron." As they entered, Harry was greeted by several patrons, all eager to get a piece of his celebrity. Harry took it all in stride- he was well used to dealing with mobs of fans after years of experience. He kept a fake smile on his face until he saw the lone figure in the corner. "Ah, Professor! I didn' expect to see yeh here! Harry, this is Professor Quirrell, he'll be teachin' yeh Defense Against The Dark Arts this year."

Harry took the Professor's outstretched hand and greeted him coolly. "Professor," he greeted with a curt nod. _Best not to act too suspicious_, Harry thought, _even if he does have an ugly snake face growing out of the back of his skull._ They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, as Harry did not want to be the first to leave, lest he rouse the suspicions of the Professor. Fortunately, salvation for Harry came in the form of Hagrid.

"Sorry to chat 'n' run, Professor, but we got a busy day today. Come along Harry, lets get yer school things," Hagrid interjected, pulling Harry out of the pub through the rear exit. As they exited the building, they came face to face with a stone wall. Harry was confused, but after concentrating on the wall and his memories of it, he remembered what it was for and what it did, just in time for Hagrid to pull out his umbrella and tap a series of bricks. The wall began to move. Bricks rotated and changed position to form a passage into a street not unlike a muggle shopping district, but with a distinctly magical theme. "Harry, welcome to Diagon Alley," Hagrid announced, before beginning to walk down the street.

"Hagrid, how am I supposed to buy all of my school stuff. My aunt and uncle never allowed me to have any money. They said that money shouldn't be wasted on a freak like me, and that I would be lucky to live by the charity of someone," Harry asked innocently. This was the first thought that sprang to the forefront of Harry's mind, and it was true. Money was never something that graced the oversized pants pockets of Harry Potter.

"Why those filthy muggles, treatin' someone like Harry Potter like a slave. Why I'm of half a mind to go righ' back there and finish turnin' that cousin of yers into a pig, and then force yer aunt and uncle to roast 'im over a fire, apple and all," Hagrid muttered angrily. "Yer parents left you piles of gold. It's just over there, in Gringotts, the wizard bank. Yeh should have enough there to last yeh a good long while yet.

"Hagrid, don't worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, I won't got back to them any more this summer. After we're done here I'll see about renting a room back there at the Leaky Cauldron, and stay there for the rest of the summer. How does that sound Hagrid?" In truth, this situation played out perfectly, as Harry didn't want to go back to his relatives, as well as the fact that he needed to be near Diagon Alley in a few days, as his plan depended on it.

"That sounds fine Harry, but how did you know that the Leaky Cauldron rented rooms? I never said anything about it."

"Erm…" Not wanting to give anything away quite yet, Harry had to think quickly. "I saw some stairs leading up in the corner of the main room. I've heard that a lot of pubs in London have small rooms to rent above the bar, so I just assumed that it would be the same here."

"Alrigh' Harry, didn't mean to sound all suspicious or anything. Just remember that not everything in the wizarding world is going to be like the muggle world. It would be best if yeh kept that in mind. Ah! Here we are, Gringotts!" Hagrid and Harry passed by two nasty looking goblin guards on each side of he main entrance, before walking into a regal looking room that looked as if it hadn't been dusted in centuries. They walked up to the nearest counter and waited patiently for the goblin behind the counter to look up from his ledger.

"May I help you?" sneered the goblin in a less than sincere manner.

"Mister Harry Potter would like to make a withdrawal from his vault," Hagrid replied.

"Does he have his key," asked the goblin impatiently.

"No he doesn't, but I do…somewhere here. Just a minute…" Hagrid began to search through his many large pockets, pulling out a number of objects that were unfamiliar to Harry. Several minutes and a large pile of objects and lint later, Hagrid found the tiny key. "Ah, here it is! Did you have to make them so small?" Hagrid asked sarcastically, but the goblin ignored that last question. "I also need to pick up something for Professor Dumbledore from vault seven hundred and thirteen." This got the goblin's attention.

"Griphook!" he yelled, before a second goblin appeared from the doorway behind him. "Griphook will lead you to your vaults. Good day gentlemen," he added before turning away, indicating he was done with them.

After a long and harrowing cart ride, Hagrid and Harry found themselves in front of a large door. "The Potter Trust Vault," Griphook announced, before using Harry's key to unlock the vault door. Before Harry stood a mountain of gold coins, along with an assortment of silver and bronze coins mixed in. Griphook handed Harry a large sack, and Harry proceeded to fill it with a mixture of all three coins, but with extra emphasis on the gold Galleons. When he was finished filling, barely making a dent in the enormous pile, Griphook shrank the bag down to the size of a coin purse, and handed it back to Harry along with his key. They then made their way back to Hagrid, who had elected to wait in the cart.

Following a short visit to vault seven hundred and thirteen, during which Hagrid picked up a parcel that was already familiar to Harry, the two returned to Diagon Alley, to begin shopping for Harry's school supplies. Their first stop was Madam Malkin's, which was strangely empty. Harry had the odd feeling that something or someone was missing, but he dismissed the feeling without giving it any thought. It took about a half hour to fit Harry for his school robes, and after buying five sets, the pair again left, heading towards Flourish and Blotts book store to pick up textbooks. Hagrid left Harry at the door claiming that he had a couple of errands to run, and that Harry should buy his books and then head over to Ollivander's to pick out a wand.

Harry took advantage of the lack of supervision to browse through the store. In addition to grabbing his textbooks for his first year, Harry also chose to buy the books he could remember from his second and third year, with the exception of those by the fraud Gilderoy Lockhart. He also chose several other volumes, including _Occlumency: Shielding your Mind from Attack_, _Spells for the Warrior: Surviving to See the Next Battle_, and _The Art of Potions_. Harry felt that the last book was necessary this time around, as he did not want to pass up the chance to do well in Potions from the beginning. In addition, Harry found a blank book that he thought would be perfect for recording his memories and plans in. Finally, Harry grabbed a new, up to date version of _Hogwarts, A History_, for he knew that a certain young witch would have it memorized, and it would do well to have common ground for them to talk about. Harry brought his purchases to the front counter, and paid for them out of his coin purse. The clerk then proceeded to place the books in a bag and shrink the bag down, making it small enough to fit into Harry's pocket.

The next and final stop on Harry's list was Ollivander's wand shop. The last time he was here, it took over an hour to find the right wand. That was not an experience that Harry wanted to repeat, so he walked through the door much more confident than he did in his previous life. The shop appeared empty, until an old, frazzled face peeked around a shelf.

"Ah, Mister Potter. I was wondering when you would arrive. I remember your parents well, as I sold them their wands when they were entering Hogwarts. It was only a matter of time before you would come to visit me." Mr. Ollivander came close to Harry, and brushed his hair away from his forehead, eyeing Harry's scar. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did that. Very powerful, very powerful indeed," Mr. Ollivander said sadly.

"Sir, do you have any wands that are similar to that one? I was hoping to have a wand that was similar, as I feel that it would be a slap in the face to use such a wand for the light, rather than for evil." Harry asked politely.

"Well, the wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. We do not have a say in what wands we want. However, it would not hurt to try, and I believe I have just the wand you are looking for," Ollivander said as he began to hunt through his shelves. "Here we are. Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather. Ironically the feather is from the same phoenix as the one in the wand that gave you that scar." Mr. Ollivander pulled out a long box, opened it, and handed the wand to Harry. As soon as Harry gripped it, a display of red and gold sparks shot from the tip, and a warm feeling crept up Harry's arm.

"Hello again, old friend," Harry muttered to himself.

"Curious. Quite curious. It is odd Mr. Potter that you would be destined for this wand, when its brother, owned by You-Know-Who, gave you that scar. I think that we can expect great things from you Mr. Potter." Mr. Ollivander concluded. Harry paid the seven Galleon price for the wand, before departing the shop, nearly running into Hagrid on the way out.

"Oi! Harry, watch out!" Hagrid bellowed. Harry stumbled but caught himself, before looking up to see Hagrid holding a cage with a beautiful snowy white owl inside. "Happy Birthday Harry!" Hagrid said before handing the cage to Harry.

"And hello to you too, Hedwig," Harry said quietly to the bird, who hooted upon hearing her new name.

"Well, Harry, it's gettin' late, so we better head back to the Cauldron. I'm gonna wait with yeh while yeh get a room, and then I'll take off." Hagrid said as they began the walk back to the entrance to the Alley. They entered the Leaky Cauldron through the back entrance, and walked to the front desk to see Tom. Harry waited to be noticed before speaking.

"Excuse me sir," Harry began respectfully, "I would like a room from now until September first please."

Tom looked over the counter to see Harry, and responded with a toothy grin. "Alright, that'll be one galleon per night, for a total of thirty galleons." Harry counted out the exact change, and was rewarded with a key to his room. As Harry turned to go upstairs, Hagrid bid him farewell, warning him to be careful, and not to take any unnecessary risks. Hagrid then handed Harry his ticket for the Hogwarts Express, stating that he would see him when he arrived at school in a month.

With that, Harry went upstairs and unpacked his belongings, including all of his shrunken packages. Harry recalled, with much difficulty and concentration, that underage magic could not be detected within the Leaky Cauldron due to the wards around the building, so Harry used his new wand for the first time to unshrink his packages. Harry shuffled through his books to find the blank diary, and took it over to the desk in the corner of the room, which was already equipped with a quill and ink, and began to write.

Harry wrote all of his memories from his years in school, when the events happened, and how they played out. Each year was given a chapter, and a title relevant to the events of the year. When he was done, Harry looked at the small table of contents that he had created, and smiled as he saw the chapters written there.

_Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_

_Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_

_Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_

_Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_

_Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_

_Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_

_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_

Harry was proud of himself for these titles, as if a person opened this book, they would not know immediately that each chapter was really a telling of the future. Instead they would simply look like more pieces of fiction written about Harry's life. He closed the book and set it aside, then got ready for bed. Tomorrow he resolved to begin studying his first year texts for a refresher, as well as look over the extra books he had bought. Harry remembered that he still had two more days before a certain bushy-haired best friend of his paid a visit to Diagon Alley, and he wanted to be there when that happened.


	4. A Normal Life

Author's Note: Thank you again for all of the reviews for the last chapter. A few of you made some suggestions about various issues, so I made a few small changes to chapter 2, as well as adding an extra A/N to chapter 3, explaining where this story goes AU. Basically, this story is AU after OotP, with the exception of the Horcruxes and the Deathly Hallows (the items). As always, please let me know if something is wrong, I take all feedback seriously and your help is greatly appreciated. Without further ado, here is Chapter 4. Just one note, I tried to put in some separations into the chapter to break it up into scenes, but I don't know if they will show up. Otherwise, you may find that some new paragraphs seem to be a great departure from the last. For this, I apologize. I am still getting used to the whole formatting part of posting here. I hope to have Chapter 5 up within the next day or two, in which our heroes (that sounds cliche) will finally reach Hogwarts. Again, I do not own Harry Potter, or anything associated with it.

Chapter 4

A Normal Life

Hermione Jean Granger sat in the back seat of her parents new BMW, watching city blocks pass by, and hoping that the magical abilities she had been told about nearly a year prior would allow her to speed up time. Put simply, she was excited, but that hardly covered it. When Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall had arrived at her home on her eleventh birthday last year, inviting her to a school of magic nearly a year in advance thanks to her inconvenient September birth date, the first thing that ran through Hermione's head was that there was more she could learn. Throughout the first years of her schooling, she had been ridiculed for always having her nose in a book, and always seeming to be a teacher's pet by knowing the answer to every question. The fact of the matter was, that it was a vicious cycle.

Hermione's parents, Dan and Emma Granger had found that the more their daughter was bullied and made fun of at school for being a bookworm, the more she withdrew into her books. As such, she had had no real friends in school, and had become a recluse, albeit one who always had a thick book under her arm. It was this tendency that worried the elder Grangers, and was actually one of the reasons they had agreed to let her attend Hogwarts the following fall. Despite their reservations about sending their daughter into an unknown world, they felt that it would help break Hermione out of her comfort zone and she would possibly make more friends there, than should she stay at home.

So, for nearly a year, Hermione had pored over the same book over and over again whenever she had any free time. Professor McGonagall had given Hermione a copy of _Hogwarts, A History_ in order to help her prepare for her entrance into the magical world and the most prestigious school in it. Every day she would read from it, and every day she would ask her parents when they would finally visit the magical shopping area that they had been told about: Diagon Alley. Finally, on Saturday, August 3, 1991, her parents had finally had enough and relented. They were going shopping in the magical world.

The drive took over an hour, and after getting lost more than once, they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. After finding a parking spot, her father muttering various curses about problems with parking in central London, especially on weekends, they entered the busy pub.

Harry Potter sat at a table near the front door in the pub portion of the Leaky Cauldron. He had been sitting, nursing a glass of pumpkin juice for just about fifteen minutes, when two nervous adults with somewhat lost expressions on their faces, entered the room. Behind them stood a girl about Harry's age- a girl that he had not seen (at least looking like this) for nearly a decade. He decided that it was the time to act. He stood up and walked the few steps to the new arrivals before speaking.

"Hello. Is this your first time to Diagon Alley?" Harry asked, knowing full well in the back of his mind that it was.

"Er, um…yes it is. But we're sort of confused about how a dingy old pub has anything to do with a shopping area. We were just told to find a place called the Leaky Cauldron," the father replied.

"Honestly dad, did you not read the instructions we were given?" the young girl admonished. "We were only supposed to go _through_ the pub to get to the Alley. I take it there is a back exit somewhere around here?" The last question was targeted towards Harry.

"Uh…yeah, its back this way," Harry answered, tilting his head towards the exit. "I could help show you around if you'd like. I only just arrived a few days ago myself, but I could use something to do," he continued, silently hoping that they would take him up on his offer.

"That would be great. But I don't think that I caught your name," the mother said. "I'm Emma Granger, this is my husband Dan, and this is our daughter Hermione, who will be entering Hogwarts next month."

"I'm Harry," Harry said, offering his hand, and shaking those of the three others. "I will be starting next month as well, but I just found out that I was a wizard three days ago!" Harry seemed irritated at this last point, but his countenance quickly changed back to cheerful, as he led the Grangers to the rear exit of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry tapped the bricks in the same order he remembered Hagrid doing a few days earlier, and all four stood back, the Grangers with an amazed look on their faces, as the bricks shifted to reveal Diagon Alley.

The shopping trip proceeded similarly to Harry's, with a few exceptions. There was no cart ride down to a vault in Gringotts. Instead, the Grangers exchanged some muggle Pounds for Galleons at the front counter, before heading off to pick up supplies. Several hours later, laden with potions supplies, robes, a wand, and other supplies, Harry was finding that Hermione seemed extremely shy during the trip, and only seemed to liven up when Dan announced that their last stop would be Flourish and Blotts bookstore. Dan had purposefully delayed this stop for last, as he knew that it would be the longest, and he could put a definite time limit on the amount of time they spent there before they needed to leave. If they had gone here first, he knew that Hermione would have spent all day in the store, not allowing them to get her other supplies.

Harry was worried that Hermione was not warming to him as much as he would have liked, so he decided to try a different approach by trying to engage Hermione in casual conversation, which they had pretty much avoided up until then.

"You sure seem like a kid in a candy store, Hermione," Harry observed, walking towards her as she was engrossed in exploring the bookshelves.

"Oh! I am," she replied. "There are so many books here, so much to learn, I hardly know where to start. I wish I could buy them all, but we only have so much room in our car today." Harry chuckled lightly at the fact that the one discouraging factor was not price or the time it would take to read all of the books, but that they didn't have room to carry them all.

Hermione's face then saddened. "You must think me terribly geeky Harry. You're probably thinking that 'all she must do is read, how pathetic.' Don't worry, you don't have to pretend to be my friend just because my parents are around. I understand. Nobody wants to be friends with a buck-toothed, bushy-haired bookworm."

"Hermione, there is nothing wrong with being a bookworm, as you put it. I like to read too. In fact, I went a little overboard when I came in here a few days ago, and bought several more books than I really needed, just to read. And I'm not pretending to be your friend just because your parents are here. You are the first person my age that I've met who wasn't intent on beating me up for doing freaky things. You are also the first person I've met since I came into the magical world who sees me for who I am-just Harry, nothing special."

Hermione was on the verge of tears after hearing this. Nobody had ever been this nice to her. But she quickly recovered, as one thing Harry said stuck out at her. "What do you mean, seeing you for who you are, nothing special?" she asked.

Harry sighed. He had been hoping to avoid this particular topic for at least a little while. As an answer, he casually brushed his hair aside, revealing his scar. Hermione gasped. "You're…you're Harry Potter. I've read about you. Is you true? Did you really defeat You-Know-Who?"

"You mean Voldemort? Yeah, it is. But I don't really like to talk about it. I don't particularly enjoy being famous for something that happened when I was a year old that I can't even remember. Everywhere I go people treat me differently because my parents died to save me. You've basically allowed me to live a normal life today for the first time in my life, now that I am away from my relatives, and at least for today, away from the mob of adoring fans."

Hermione dropped the books she was holding and hugged Harry. Nobody had been this nice to her, and here he was, a celebrity in the wizarding world, telling her that he wanted to be her friend.

Little did Harry know, but both Dan and Emma had heard this whole exchange from the next aisle over, but they silently decided that they would ask Harry about the last part later. They waited a moment to make sure they weren't interrupting anything further, before walking around the shelf to see if the kids were done. Harry had convinced Hermione to pick up a book on Occlumency just as he had, telling her that it would help with her mental discipline and concentration. After paying for Hermione's new books, or library as her father put it, the quartet made their way back into the Alley, and turned and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron. With a quick look at her husband, Emma decided that there wasn't a much better time to ask. "Harry, don't you have any relatives staying here with you?" she asked.

"No ma'am," Harry replied, memories of his life with the Dursleys suddenly coming to the forefront of his mind. "Normally I live with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin, but they don't really like me there. I figured that it would only be worse to live with them now that I know about magic, as they hate 'freaky stuff.' So I decided I would just rent a room here for the rest of the summer before going to school. It's small, but hey, it's better than the cupboard."

The last sentence got their attention more than anything else. "What do you mean, cupboard, Harry?" Dan asked.

"Well, I, um…" Harry had never been comfortable talking about his life with the Dursleys, "for as long as I can remember, I've lived in the cupboard under the stairs." Harry answered, hanging his head in shame.

"Was this a small house? Were there not enough rooms?" Dan asked for clarification, his anger already starting to rise.

"Oh, no sir. My cousin Dudley had two rooms, one just for all of his broken toys. I was never allowed in there though, as stupid little freaks don't get toys."

This was the last straw for the adult Grangers. They asked Harry and Hermione to let them speak in private for a moment, and they headed into one of the corners of the pub. Harry had been nothing but polite and nice to them, and had even befriended their daughter, who had never had any friends before. It was decided. The pair returned to the kids, who were sitting at a table, excitedly discussing what they thought school was going to be like, and Emma cleared her throat to get their attention. "Harry, how would you like to spend the rest of the summer at our house?" she asked, and Hermione practically squealed. "We have plenty of room, and I'm sure that Hermione would love to have a friend to spend some time with, or at least, a friend that wasn't printed on paper," Emma joked. Hermione blushed at the last statement.

"Are you sure, I don't want to be a burden Mrs. Granger," Harry answered, praying that he could go with them, but hedging his bets.

"Nonsense Harry, you wouldn't be a burden, and we'd love to have you over for a few weeks."

"If you're sure…okay!" Harry said almost too enthusiastically, sounding just like the excited eleven year old he physically was.

Now it was Dan's turn, "Why don't you head on up to your room and grab your stuff, and meet us downstairs here and we'll head back?"

Harry did just that, and he hurriedly packed up all of his belongings into his trunk but decided not to shrink it, as he would be unable to do magic to unshrink it when he arrived at the Grangers.. He returned downstairs and after getting most of his money back for early departure from his room, Harry and the Grangers returned to their car. Harry and Dan loaded Hermione's packages and Harry's trunk into the boot of the car then they both got in and the drive began. As they drove, it became obvious that Hermione had had a busy day, and was completely knackered. About a half hour into the drive, she fell asleep on Harry's shoulder, much to Harry's pleasure. He looked up to see Mrs. Granger looking back at them with a smile on her face, and he could see, through the rearview mirror, a light scowl on the face of Mr. Granger. _This is going to be a good summer_, Harry thought, as he looked back out the window at the passing countryside.

The summer flew by for Harry and Hermione. Dan and Emma Granger were pleasantly surprised at the maturity that Harry showed, and had been even more taken aback when the woke up the first morning to find Harry cooking breakfast for them. Emma had promptly discouraged that, stating that Harry was a guest in their home, not a servant, and as such, he would not be cooking for them. Both adult Grangers were concerned, however, that he was entirely too thin for his own good, and set about trying to fix that with a healthier diet.

About a week after arriving at the large, two-story Granger residence, Emma suggested that Harry and Hermione go out back and use the pool. Harry glumly replied that he had no swim trunks, so he couldn't. This reminded Emma of something that she had been meaning to correct. She had noticed that the clothes, if they could be called that, that Harry wore, were about four sizes to big for him, and hung off his small frame. She told Harry that the next day, Saturday, they would all four go to a shopping center to pick out some new clothes for him.

The entirety of the next day was spent shopping for a complete wardrobe for Harry. Although Harry had been excited about he prospect of new clothes, Dan had warned him that clothes shopping was nothing to get excited about, at least for a guy. He was right. After five hours of the two females fawning all over him as he tried on outfit after outfit, Harry was tired of it, and vowed he would never go clothes shopping again (although he knew that to be false). Finished, the group brought a pile of underwear, socks, jeans, casual and formal shirts, two pairs of trainers, and two pairs of swim trunks to the checkout. As the total of their purchases neared one thousand Pounds, Harry started to become uncomfortable, and offered to pay for his new clothes the next time he went to Gringotts. Dan would have none of it.

"Harry, there is no way someone your age should have to buy their own clothes. You should have had clothes like this years ago, not some charity-case hand-me-downs from an adolescent whale. Consider it a late birthday present from us," Dan said as he handed the clerk his credit card.

The following day, Sunday, Harry finally had a chance to try out his new trunks in the Granger's pool. As Harry walked out back to the pool, clad only in trunks and a t-shirt, his breath caught as he saw Hermione already in the pool, dressed in a light blue one-piece. Granted, she still had a lot of growing up to do, but just seeing her there reminded Harry of the beautiful woman she would grow up to be, the woman he fell in love with and was falling in love with all over again. The elder Grangers were also sitting in lounge chairs on the deck, reading, as Harry removed his shirt to get into the pool. As she glanced up, Emma gasped. Criss-crossing Harry's back were countless scars, making it looked as though someone had lashed him with a whip. Interspersed between the slashes were welts that did not look like they had ever completely healed. Emma prodded her husband, who looked up, and his eyes narrowed in anger at what he saw. Obviously, the wounds were made by someone larger than Harry brandishing a belt, or some similar weapon. While neither said anything that day, they both agreed that their sympathy for the young may staying with them had grown by another leap. They were now determined to give him the sort of family he had always been denied.

While Harry and Hermione spent the first two weeks of their stay together enjoying themselves, the last two weeks were dedicated to preparing for the upcoming school year. By August 31, they had both read through their entire collection of first-year texts, and had both taken to learning Occlumency. Harry was determined to teach Hermione to shield her mind before telling her the truth about everything that had happened to him. He was afraid that, remembering the words of God/Sirius, he would find new enemies, and that they may try to learn his secrets through Legilimency. At the same time, Harry was taking the opportunity to reinforce his mental shields, as the one time that he had been "taught" Occlumency, was not really teaching but instead mental rape by a teacher.

As the summer came to a close, Harry could not help but feel that this had been the best summer he had ever had, in either lifetime, despite the fact that it had only really lasted the month of August. Tomorrow, he would be heading back to the only home he had ever known, with a second chance to change everything for the better. Just to prepare himself, after everyone else was in bed the night of the 31st, Harry took one last glance of chapter 1 of his diary, regarding the Philosopher's Stone, and began to plan out how he could better handle things this time around.


	5. Where you Least Expect Them

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it.

**Chapter 5**

Where you Least Expect Them

The morning of September 1, 1991 dawned brightly, and Harry took it as a omen of good things to come, as he officially started his career at Hogwarts again. Despite the previous objections of the Grangers, Harry woke early this morning to make breakfast; he was in that good of a mood. The smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the house, rousing the three Grangers from their slumber. Though surprised at the gesture Harry had made, they had no complaints, as it was the best breakfast any of them had had in a long while. The breakfast was just Harry's thank-you (despite the fact that the Grangers had paid for the food in the first place) for making him feel more at home and part of a family than he had ever been.

A quick shower and a rushed packing job were all that were needed to get Harry Potter ready to leave for King's Cross station. He could vaguely remember his many times with the Weasley family on similar mornings, when the entire clan would be rushing around trying to finish last-minute tasks. Here, Hermione was already ready (and had been for a few days), and she and her parents were waiting by the door for Harry. The group piled into the car, and they were off for the station.

The Grangers plus Harry arrived about a half hour early, using the rationale of finding the right platform and a good seat. As they rounded a corner to reach platforms 9 and 10, they saw a child run through the barrier between the two platforms. The Granger adults had slowly been getting used to the idea of magic; however, what they had just seen defied every rule of the physical universe that they knew. Harry just shrugged and motioned for them to follow him, as he ran through the barrier. When all four had passed though, it was time to part ways.

Hermione hugged both of her parents goodbye, while Harry hugged Emma, and turned to Dan to shake his hand. Dan gripped it tightly before speaking.

"Take care of my daughter Harry. I trust you. If anything happens to my little girl, I will personally string you up by your toenails, and force you to watch Parliament debate on public television. But other than that, have a great time at school, you two!" he finished with a smile at the two children, while Harry was still nervously shaking his hand, his eyes wide in fear.

"And don't forget to write each week! Both of you I mean," added Emma as Harry and Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express. With a final wave, the two entered the train and began looking for an empty compartment. Harry took the lead on finding a compartment, mainly because he wanted to avoid a certain one that he had used years earlier when he met Ron Weasley. Knowing what he knew about the future, Harry was determined to not form such a close friendship with the red-headed boy; he would not trust Hermione's safety, or his own, to him again. Near the back of the train, the two found an empty compartment, and they quickly claimed it and settled in.

With only a few minutes to go before the train departed, Harry and Hermione saw a flock of red hair pass through the barrier and onto platform 9 ¾. Harry silently prayed that Ron would find a suitable compartment before he got this far back along the train. As Harry was wishing, he heard the last sound he wanted to hear: the sound of the door to their compartment opening. But what surprised him even more was that the person standing there was the last person he wanted, or even expect to see. Draco Malfoy.

Just as Harry had his hand on his wand and an insult on his tongue, ready to fling at the newcomer, he remembered something that had been said to him just over a month before. _You may find allies in places you least expect them…_ God had told him during their talk. As Harry thought about it, he realized that Draco Malfoy truly was the last person he would expect to be an ally. Either way, he figured that they both at least had a chance to start anew, so he offered Malfoy a seat.

"Were you looking for a spot to sit?" Harry asked.

Malfoy just nodded smugly and sat down. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. But call me Draco. And you are?"

"I'm Harry," Harry responded, "and this is my best friend Hermione.

"Are you going to be a first-year as well?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Draco started, "but father says that I'll be better than most of the students there. Bad blood and the like. But you know all about that, don't you?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged confused looks. Hermione was the first to speak.

"So, you're saying that you are better than other people just because of their blood?"

Draco nodded in confirmation. "Father says that only us purebloods are worthy enough to study magic. Half-bloods and mudbloods don't have a right to learn magic."

Hermione wasn't sure what that last word meant, but she didn't like the sound of it. Harry, meanwhile, had been sitting silently, just waiting for his chance. He challenged Draco, "Do you believe everything your father says?"

"Of course. I have every reason to trust what he says. He's my father," Draco answered simply.

"And what makes purebloods so much better than half-bloods or muggle-borns?" Harry pressed.

"Well…I…" Draco started, but Harry cut him off.

"Aren't they all magical? What difference does it make who their parents were? That's like saying that a person with one color of skin is automatically better than another. Do you believe that is right?"

"Well, no…" Malfoy responded sheepishly.

"What if a muggle-born witch or wizard developed a spell that could save your life? Would you use it? Or would you refuse because they weren't pureblood? Shouldn't we all be judged based on our merits, rather than our bloodlines? Doesn't that make more sense?" Harry argued.

Draco was hard-pressed to come up with a retort to that. He had never questioned his father's explanation of bloodlines, and had instead accepted it blindly. Now he was having his views challenged, and he couldn't think of any acceptable defense. What if this wasn't the only thing his father hadn't been completely honest with him about? Draco dismissed that thought. It was too dangerous to go down that road right now.

But Harry wasn't quite finished yet. "Hermione here is one of the smartest, if not _the_ smartest person I know, and she is a muggle-born. I personally think that she will blow both of us out of the water when we get to school, and it won't be because of her heritage; it will be because she works harder than anyone else, and she is rewarded for it." Harry sat back to let his points sink in, wondering if things truly could change.

The trio sat in silence for just over a minute, before Harry offered one final statement.

"I'm Harry Potter by the way, and I'm also a half-blood. Nice to meet you Draco." Draco's eyes widened at this. He had just been lectured on blood superiority, or lack thereof, by the Boy-Who-Lived. He was taken aback by the fact that the most powerful dark wizard in history had been defeated by a half-blood, and a baby one at that.

_Maybe it will do me good to make friends with Potter_, _or at least not become enemies with him_, Draco thought, his inherent Slytherin ambition getting the better of him.

When the snack trolley passed by their compartment, and Harry pulled out a handful of Galleons to buy some snacks, Draco's intuition was seemingly confirmed. Harry Potter was loaded. _I'd have to be a fool not to ally myself with the bloody rich hero of the wizarding world_, he thought, his mind made up. He would forget the words of his father and instead join up with Harry.

The rest of the ride passed uneventfully, and before they knew it, the students had arrived at Hogsmeade station. Disembarking the train, the trio was greeted by Hagrid's booming voice.

"Firs' years, this way to the boats!" he yelled over the excited chatter of the new arrivals. The group made their way to the edge of the Black Lake and the waiting boats. While it was his second time across like this, the view of Hogwarts set against the night sky was just as magical for Harry as the first time. He was again arriving at the first place he had ever called home.

After the boats arrived and the students made their way to the entrance to the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall arrived and gave the same introductory speech she gave every year.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rulebreaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." (_J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, pg 114). _She disappeared through the huge doors for a few moments before returning. "We're ready for you now."

She led the students into the Hall, not bothering to look back at them; she knew that looks of amazement would be plastered on their faces as they looked around, but especially as they looked up at the magical ceiling. Just before she reached the Head Table, she stopped and turned around. "When I call your name, you will come up and sit on the stool. I will place the Sorting Hat onto your head, and you will be sorted…"

Harry didn't hear the rest of what she said, as a strange presence entered his mind, bypassing his Occlumency shields.

"_Ah, Mister Potter. Back again, I see,"_ it said.

Harry looked around but couldn't see anybody talking to him. The voice continued.

"_The heir to Gryffindor too? You know he created me, don't you?" _the voice said, sounding more like the Sorting Hat.

"_You can talk to people, even without being on their heads?"_ Harry thought, trying to communicate with the Hat.

"_Of course. Did you really think that I could only communicate when I am on a person's head? The only reason they put me there in the first place is because I'm a hat. That's just simply what you do. But as the magical heir to Gryffindor, you possess his magical signature, and can communicate with me whenever you want."_

At this point, the sorting began, Harry having missed the Hat's song. Hannah Abbott was again the first to be called, and was sorted into Hufflepuff as before. Throughout the sorting, Harry was able to hear the Hat's musings for each student. It was really fascinating to him to find out the inherent traits of each student. Knowledge like that could come in handy later, he reasoned.

"Granger, Hermione," announced McGonagall, snapping Harry out of that train of thought.

Hermione nervously made her way to the stool, before the Professor placed the Hat on her head.

"_Ah, the mind of a perfect Ravenclaw. Intelligence, wit, and a thirst for learning,"_ the Hat began, much to Harry's horror. He knew that Hermione was the heir of Ravenclaw, but at the same time, he still wanted to be around her; he needed her in Gryffindor.

"_No, not Ravenclaw, please. Put her in Gryffindor. I know she'll do well there," _Harry thought, concentrating with all of his might on getting his message across.

Hermione could have sworn she heard Harry's voice in her head for a brief moment before she heard the Hat continue its debate. _"Gryffindor, eh? Well, I suppose there is courage here. Courage to face challenging odds. Yes, you could do well there, so it better be…_GRYFFINDOR!" The hat bellowed the last word, announcing it to the entire Hall.

Hermione hopped off of the stool and ran over to the Gryffindor table to be greeted warmly by its inhabitants. The sorting continued until Professor McGonagall reached another familiar name.

"Malfoy, Draco" she called, and the blonde walked up to the stool and sat down.

"_Hmmm, definitely Slytherin ambition and cunning. But what's this? Some Gryffindor courage as well I see. You could do well in either house,"_ the Hat began, causing Draco to get a disgusted look on his face at the mention of him being in Gryffindor.

"_In time, perhaps,"_ Harry thought, _"he could do well in Gryffindor. But for now, Slytherin should fit him."_

'SLYTHERIN!" the Hat called, sending Malfoy to that table. A few more names were called and sorted, before Harry was called.

"_Well, Mister Potter, we finally meet again for the first time. Gone back in time, I see. That's cheating, you know. But you can't really argue with the Big Man Himself, can you? But where to put you? You would do well in Slytherin, but you are the heir to Gryffindor; his courage runs strongly through your veins, that I can tell. Before I sort you, I must let you know. Mister Malfoy is not what he appears. Yes he is a Slytherin, and you have a bias against them, that I can tell. But he has some good in him. Give him a chance and you may find yourself with a powerful ally. But enough talk; you belong in _GRYFFINDOR!" Harry scurried off of the stool towards the Gryffindor table, the words of the Hat still ringing in his head. He was so focused on them that he almost missed one of the last names to be called.

"Weasley, Ronald," summoned McGonagall, and a scared, red-headed boy sat down on the stool as the Hat was forced upon his head. Once again, Harry heard the voice of the Sorting Hat in his head.

"_Ah, a difficult one. Very difficult indeed. Definitely some Gryffindor bravado, but I also see a good deal of jealousy. Jealousy that fuel ambition to be better than others. You are more Slytherin than you know."_

Ron paled at this last statement. Every other member of his family had been sorted into Gryffindor. But here he was, being told by the Hat that be belonged in Slytherin. Silently he begged the Hat to place him in Gryffindor; he didn't want to face his family should he not make it into that house.

Harry, for his part, was apathetic to the whole situation. He couldn't care less what happened to Ron, and he knew from years of experience that Ron really would fit in in Slytherin. He was just about to relay this to the Hat when it announced its decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

With a sigh of relief, Ron rushed over to his three waiting brothers at the Gryffindor table, and took up his spot with them. Most of the Gryffindors cheered as they received a new student, except for Harry, who knew Ron better than anyone at that table, and Hermione, who was eyeing Harry suspiciously.

With the sorting complete, Headmaster Dumbledore said a few words, "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" before announcing the feast and sitting back down. When the food magically appeared, it was obvious which of the new students came from muggle families, as they were unaccustomed to food simply materializing in front of them. Throughout the meal, Harry kept an eye on Professor Quirrell, who was intent on avoiding Harry's gaze. However, the professor made no suspicious movements other than that.

After the feast, Dumbledore rose again, this time to give his customary set of start-of-term announcements. Aside from the traditional announcements about the Forbidden Forest, as well as warnings from Mr. Filch, there was also one warning students away from the third-floor corridor on the right. Only Harry, Dumbledore, and a few of the teachers really knew what he meant by the last warning. Finished, Dumbledore dismissed the students to their dormitories.

Percy Weasley, one of the Gryffindor prefects, led the first years to their tower; the entrance guarded by a painting of a fat lady. After telling the new students the password for the year, "Snakes stink," the group made its way into the common room, where they were given a brief overview of their quarters, and sent off to bed early in anticipation of the first day of classes the next day.

Harry and Hermione bid each other good night at the base of their respective stairs before heading up, both of them excited for the start of term, however each for different reasons. True to her personality, Hermione was excited not only to learn something new, but to experience new types of classes. Harry, meanwhile, was excited to see what he could do differently now that he had a second chance at life. If his memory served, he would have Potions in the morning, and this time he vowed not to make such a negative impression on Severus Snape.

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Based on a couple of reviews, it appears to me that some readers think that there will be some grand plan involving Draco Malfoy, as I didn't put him at Madam Malkins. Well, if you just read the preceding chapter, you can kind of get a feeling for where I am going to take him. Sorry to disappoint you. The real reason he wasn't at Madam Malkins was because I had planned on him not becoming an enemy of Harry's and I wanted Hermione there in the same scene when the two met in order to give a little perspective. So what do you think? Yes? No? I have several ideas fleshed out about where I want to take the story with Draco in this role, but I want your input as well. Please review and leave any feedback about plot, mistakes, or anything you see.


	6. In the Beginning

Author's Note: Thank you again for all of the positive reviews I have been getting, especially those about Draco not being Harry's enemy. I thought for sure that it would disappoint some readers. Part of the reason I did this will become a little bit clearer in this chapter. I know it is just a short one, but it really only covers one day. I posted this earlier but quickly removed it as I wasn't sure it was done. Now, I think it is. The next chapter will deal with more from first year, but I just wanted to set the stage a little bit for that. As always, please review and leave feedback if you see anything wrong. And as a disclaimer, I still do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 6

In the Beginning…

Morning came far to quickly for Harry Potter; it seemed as though he had just laid his head down on his pillow before he had to wake up again. Today was the first day of classes in his first year at Hogwarts, and he was looking forward to being able to start afresh.

At breakfast that morning, the heads of houses passed out their students' schedules, with Professor McGonagall passing out the ones for Gryffindor. Harry noticed that his and Hermione's timetables were stacked with Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions all on the first day. He had no problem with the first two. It was the last that Harry was apprehensive about. Following the meal, the duo made their way to their first Transfiguration lesson.

As it turned out, Transfiguration was held with the Ravenclaws, which provided extra competition for Harry and Hermione to outshine the rest of the class. As before, this first lesson dealt with turning a match into a needle. Harry, due to his previous experience, was the first to accomplish this task, and on his first try as well. Professor McGonagall was astounded by this, and awarded him five points. Afterwards, Harry effortlessly levitated the needle and slowly rotated it around in the air, inspecting it for flaws. If McGonagall was amazed before, she now looked about ready to faint, as her eyes flicked to Harry's desk, where his wand lay, unused. Harry broke his gaze at the needle and looked at the Professor, who was still staring at him, before he lowered the needle back to the desk and sat silently.

Hermione was the next to achieve the goal, but her success was due to her and Harry reading ahead in their texts during the summer. She too, was awarded five points. In the end, only the two Gryffindors were able to achieve perfect results, but the other students had various degrees of success, with some matches having points, or turning a silver color.

As the class walked out the doors after being dismissed by the Professor, McGonagall thought to herself. _Such control over his magic. And wandless too! He's only a first-year, so how is that possible? I best talk to Albus about this._

The day continued uneventfully, with Charms with the Hufflepuffs next. Just as Harry remembered, this class dealt with the levitating charm, which ironically enough, Harry had performed perfectly in his previous class. In this lesson, more students managed to get their feather to float than got their match to turn into a needle. However, just as before, Harry was the first to succeed, with Hermione not far behind. Harry spent the rest of the class aimlessly levitating his feather, and eventually was unconsciously doing it wandlessly as well, causing Professor Flitwick to fall off of his stack of books. Again, Harry realized what he was doing and quickly moved to stop it. He was unsure about how he was doing this wandless magic, and was curious as to how far he could push it. All he knew was that he didn't feel the same draw to his wand that he had felt before.

Fortunately for Harry, no students had realized that he was doing wandless magic, and his next class, Potions, did not require any "foolish wand waving" as Snape so eloquently put it.

As Harry and Hermione reached the dungeons for their last class of the day, Potions with the Slytherins, both were nervous for different, but similar reasons. Hermione was nervous because she had heard how unfair Professor Snape could be from her dorm mates the night before. Harry was apprehensive because he knew how nasty Snape could get without provocation. The two sat down in the classroom next to Draco. While they were not exactly friends, the three were at least were courteous with each other and got along amicably.

Suddenly, Snape strode into the room, his black robes billowing behind him in an almost over-exaggerated comic style. Hermione really thought that he looked the part of the stereotypical greasy villain from 1920's era American western films. All that was missing was the curly black mustache, and a catchphrase along the lines of "Curses! Foiled again!"

Snape, for his part, looked around the classroom at his newest students. His eyes stopped on one pupil in particular. Sitting before him, the spitting image of his childhood nemesis, was Harry Potter. However much James Potter had made Severus Snape's life a living hell during school, Snape had vowed to himself that he would not allow the sins of the father (or the mother for marrying Potter) to be passed on to the son. However, he had an image to maintain, especially amongst his Slytherins.

After giving his customary speech about the exact science that is Potions, Snape called roll, and stopped at Harry's name.

"Ah, Mr. Potter…our new celebrity," he drawled. He needed to make this a good show. Snape finished calling roll, before he began his attack.

"Now, let's see how many of you actually managed to open your books over the summer. Potter!" Harry snapped his head up to look at the Professor. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked, knowing full well that none of the students in this class should know that.

Harry, having researched each of the questions Snape had asked the first time around in order to answer them correctly, knew the answer immediately.

"You would get a powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death, sir," Harry replied cordially.

Snape's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly resumed his nasty look for appearances' sake. Potter had just answered a question correctly about a sixth-year potion.

"And where would you go if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Snape pressed.

"A bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat, and is useful for curing most poisons, sir."

Again, Snape was surprised. While not a difficult question, in his experience many students did not know where to get a bezoar, besides in his supply closet. He decided to ask a third and final question.

"Pray tell me, Potter, in all of your infinite knowledge, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfs bane?"

"They are the same plant, sir, but they also go by the name aconite."

"Very well, Mr. Potter. One point to Gryffindor for your correct answers." Snape turned around to face the blackboard and begin writing instructions for the day's brewing.

At this, Harry was taken aback. Snape never gave points to Gryffindor. Granted, it was only one point, but it was a point nonetheless. Harry decided to continue being polite to the professor.

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied.

Snape spun around and glared at Harry. "Five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn, Potter."

Most of the Slytherins in the room snickered at this. There was the Snape that Harry knew and hated.

The class proceeded as usual, Snape giving out nasty comments about the state of the Gryffindor's potions and taking points away if they looked at him funny, while at the same time lavishing praise on the Slytherins. Snape had seen that Harry and Draco were sitting next to each other, and had paired them together. To most of the other students, it looked as though Snape was just being the usual greasy git he was, by pairing a Slytherin with a Gryffindor. However, Snape knew differently. He had seen the lack of animosity between the two. That, coupled with the fact that he knew his godson had a natural talent for potions, as well as Harry's apparent knowledge of the subject, caused him to pair the two up, hoping that they could both go far in the world of potions. In addition, seeing Harry work with a member of a rival house gave Snape pause to think that maybe Harry had inherited his personality from his mother, Lily, instead of the arrogant, nasty attitude that Snape had put up with from James Potter. Only time would tell, but for now he would give Harry a chance.

Hermione had been paired with Neville Longbottom, who, with Hermione's assistance, was actually able to produce a somewhat competent potion. On the other hand, Ron was partnered with Dean and Seamus, as there were an odd number of students in the class. Their potion did not turn out well, to say the least. It was dark purple, instead of the light green it was supposed to be, and was emitting a burping sound every time a bubble burst.

In the end, Harry and Draco had brewed a flawless boil cure potion, but Snape would not give Harry credit for it.

"Potter, obviously you cheated off of Mr. Malfoy here. There's no way you could have made this potion. Ten points from Gryffindor for cheating. And Mr. Malfoy, ten points to Slytherin for producing a perfect potion, and another five points for having to deal with a cheating Mr. Potter for a partner."

The class bottled their potions in labeled containers and placed them on Snape's desk before heading back to their tables to pack up their supplies and leave.

"Potter, stay after class," Snape announced, much to Harry's chagrin. Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic glance, while Draco mouthed 'sorry' before the two left. Harry sullenly walked up to Snape's desk. Professor Snape eyed Harry carefully, then drew a careful breath before beginning to speak.

"Mr. Potter, I must apologize for my behavior in class today. I am well aware that my treatment of you was unacceptable. However, given my position as head of Slytherin house, and the fact that many of my students are children of followers of the Dark Lord, I have…certain appearances I must maintain."

Harry was unsure whether he had heard the man correctly. In his seven years in class under Snape, he had never heard him apologize to a student, or even act respectfully to any student other than those in Slytherin.

Snape gave a casual flick of his wand before continuing with his explanation, "All of the points I took from you today have been restored. In addition, an extra ten house points for putting up with my heinous attitude today. Contrary to popular belief, I do not go to be each night plotting new and elaborate ways to insult my students and cause them to fail. However, Potions is a dangerous subject, and a healthy dose of fear will do every student good.

Also, Mr. Potter, I was very impressed with the way you worked with Mr. Malfoy today. It is not often that two members of rival houses work so well together. Mr. Malfoy is very bright, I myself have cultivated that trait in him for many years, as his Godfather. However, he is prone to manipulation by his father, so I would be careful around him for the time being. He could be a powerful enemy. But he could be an even more powerful ally. That is all," Snape concluded.

As Harry turned to leave, Snape apparently remembered he had something else to say.

"Also, Mr. Potter, if you need any help in this class, or in any others, let me know. I am a teacher, first and foremost. I am here to help students. Unfortunately, my…abrasive demeanor tends to put most students off, and they don't come to me for help. That is the real reason why there are so many poor potions students, not because I am unwilling to help. Now you may go."

Harry left the classroom and headed back to Gryffindor tower, where Hermione was waiting for him. As soon as he walked through the portrait hole, she bombarded him with questions about what Snape had wanted. Harry repeated everything that the Potions Master had told him, and Hermione smiled as he finished. Asked by Harry why she was smiling, she replied that she just knew that there couldn't be a really evil teacher, like Snape was forced to act like.

_She has no idea just how wrong she really is… _Harry thought, vaguely remembering a few incidents over the years with less than spectacular instructors.

The two spent the rest of the evening working on the homework that they had been assigned on the first day, including a two foot long essay on the boil-curing potion that Snape had assigned after much of the class had botched their work. After finishing that, Harry and Hermione took a little time to practice their Occlumency, as Harry was hoping that by the end of the year she would have strong enough defenses to protect his secrets. He wanted to share what had happened to her badly, but he didn't want the fact that he had traveled back in time to get out to his enemies before he was ready.

Hermione hugged Harry goodnight before heading up to her dormitories, and after a few minutes, Harry did the same. As he lay down and closed his eyes, he mentally ticked off one day in his mind. A number of things had already changed. Draco Malfoy was not his nemesis, Snape was not the nasty bat of the dungeons he was last time, and he was already friends with Hermione. For having only gone through one day of his first year, he had already change a lot. But there was still the rest of the school year to go, and one Dark Lord to face at the end of it.


	7. The Mirror of Erised Revisited

Author's Note: Thank you again to those who reviewed. Chapter 6 was a bit of an odd one, as I posted it and removed it for further work. Then I reposted, so it got lost in the shuffle. But here is chapter 7. This was probably the most fun chapter to write so far, as it just all seemed to fit together, at least for me. Please let me know your thoughts, and as always, I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 7:

The Mirror of Erised Revisited

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the warmth of late summer gave way to the cool of fall as Halloween approached.

After getting over their first day jitters, the following two months had proceeded uneventfully, even peacefully. For Harry, this was especially true. He no longer had to worry about facing down Malfoy at every turn, while at the same time trying to placate a rampaging Snape. While he was far from friends with the former, they were not at each other's throats like they had been in his previous life. Regarding the latter, Harry found it nice to finally have a teacher rather than a brooding, nasty git with a smart retort always at the ready. However, if there was one blot on Harry's otherwise perfect year so far, it was that he was plagued with nightmares about his time with the Dursleys. He remembered that God had told him that memories from his past life would be relegated to the back of his mind, and this was just a painful reminder of that fact.

Meanwhile, Hermione was literally in heaven. She was engrossed in all of her subjects, even History of Magic, where she paid rapt attention while every other student slept. Hermione took every opportunity to study her textbooks, trying to squeeze out every last ounce of information about her new world. But then there was the library. The library at Hogwarts was unrivaled in the magical world, and in many parts of the muggle world as well. This was truly Hermione's Nirvana. If there was ever a time when Harry couldn't find her, he knew only to look in the library, for she had seemingly made it her purpose in life to read every volume available there.

Harry and Hermione's studies had also gotten along well. Both were at the top of their class, but for different reasons: Hermione by way of studying, and Harry by means of having done all of the work before. However, the fact that Harry had done it before was also a drawback. He was seemingly too advanced; at times letting slip some of his more advanced abilities such as wandless and wordless magic, as well as using spells not normally introduced for several more years. These abilities did not go unnoticed by the staff however, and they were beginning to get suspicious of Harry's almost unnatural skill and abilities.

Where Harry and Hermione were having a good time of their schooling so far, Draco Malfoy was the exact opposite. Sure, his studies and grades were above par, but in every other aspect of his life at Hogwarts, he was suffering. The fact that he seemed to not be hostile to Potter, who was the bane of every Slytherin's existence, enraged his housemates. Draco was, in essence, an outcast from his own house.

For Harry, the beginning of the term had proceeded similarly to what he remembered. He even had made the Quidditch team again, however this time, Malfoy had nothing to do with it. Up until this point, Harry had been getting along with Neville, and avoiding Ron like the plague. However, this seemed to make Ron more of a nasty git than before. After Neville broke his wrist during flying practice, he dropped the Remembrall he had received earlier. Ron grabbed, and he and Seamus took to the skies and began to toss it between themselves. Harry would have none of this. Despite Hermione's protests, he grabbed his broom and took off.

"Oi! Potter! Careful on that thing; we don't want anyone else to get hurt, do we? Don't want the Boy-who-Lived to die in a pathetic broomstick accident," Ron shouted to him.

"Give it back, Weasley," Harry replied.

"Nah, I don't think so. In fact, I think we should put this where nobody will ever find it, don't you Seamus?" Seamus just snickered at the question. With this response, Ron cocked his arm and threw the Remembrall as hard as he could towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry rocketed after the object, pushing the school broom as fast as it would go.

Gaining speed, Harry noticed that the Remembrall was beginning it's descent, so he began to angle his broom handle down, while still gaining speed. Harry was getting closer and closer to the object, but the ground was getting closer and closer to Harry. Finally, with only a few feet to go before he hit the ground, Harry caught the sphere and quickly yanked his broom handle up as hard as he could, turning his dive into a V-shaped maneuver. Harry nearly fell off of the broom at the extreme change in direction, but he expertly held on, calling on all of his years of Seeker intuition to help him. When Harry landed on the ground, he was enveloped by a tight hug from Hermione who had been fraught with worry.

"Don't you ever do that to me again Harry Potter! Do you hear?" she sobbed into his shoulder.

The rest of the situation played out exactly as before, with Professor McGonagall arriving to chastise Harry in front of the other students, while in private allowing him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. This was one aspect of his life that he wanted to repeat, as it had been his release from the stress of school for years.

At last, Halloween arrived at Hogwarts. The student body was abuzz with excitement over the feast that night. Most of the teachers (except Snape, of course) had even gotten into the mood by assigning less homework than usual. For everyone, it was a happy occasion. Everyone except Draco. This was the day that his dorm-mates decided that they would teach him a lesson for making peace with a Gryffindor. They wouldn't even listen as he tried to tell them that they weren't his friends. They just hadn't pissed him off yet. But they would have none of that as they took turns punching, and as it evolved, kicking him as he fell to the ground. Eventually his housemates, comprised of both older students as well as his year-mates, tired of their little game and headed off to the Great Hall for the feast, leaving a bloody, broken Draco Malfoy behind.

Slowly and gingerly, Draco managed to get up, and left the Slytherin common room in an attempt to get himself cleaned up and patched up before too many people noticed he was absent from the feast.

Harry and Hermione, meanwhile, had just finished up what little homework they had for the day, and were also working their way towards the Great Hall. On their way, they noticed Malfoy limping along, farther away from the dungeons where Slytherin kept its dormitories than they usually saw. Harry was the first to speak

"Hey, Malfoy. Where are you going? The Great Hall is the other way," Harry said.

"Bathroom…" was the one word response that Draco mumbled. In truth, he wanted to get as far away from the Slytherin dorms as possible, and that meant the boys bathroom near Gryffindor tower.

Though concerned, Harry and Hermione were determined to leave Draco to his own devices. Slytherins were, after all, fiercely independent. They did not want to trample on his sense of pride, so they continued on their way to the feast.

The Great Hall was decorated in a decidedly Halloween motif, with floating Jack-o-Lanterns replacing the traditional floating candles. After greeting the assembled students, Dumbledore waved his hand and a banquet appeared at each table. The meal consisted of a variety of seasonal favorites, many of them including pumpkin as a main ingredient. Harry tended to favor the chili, however his dorm-mates would be extremely unhappy with this fact later that night. About halfway through the meal, the doors to the Great Hall slammed open, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. A lone figure ran into the Hall.

"TROLL! Troll in the dungeons!" Professor Quirrell yelled, afraid as if the troll was actually chasing after him. He then took a look around the Hall before proceeding to pass out on the floor.

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence, before screams pierced the air from frightened girls, and frantic yelling came from nervous boys. There was pandemonium in the Great Hall. Only Dumbledore could save the day, and he came to the rescue as usual.

"SILENCE!" he commanded, his wand at his throat to use the Sonorus charm. Everyone immediately grew silent. "Students, you will follow your prefects to your dormitories, while teachers, with the exception of dear Professor Quirrell, would you please follow me to the dungeons. We have a troll to take care of."

All of the students in the Great Hall quickly got up and proceeded to rush out of the Great Hall. Once through the large doors, Harry pulled Hermione aside.

"Draco. He's in the boys bathroom by the tower. He doesn't know about the troll!" Both Harry and Hermione took off in a run towards the boys bathroom. As they approached the bathroom, they could hear the booming footsteps of he troll getting closer and closer. Harry and Hermione burst through the door, out of breath.

"Malfoy! There's a troll coming! We've got to get out of here!" Harry yelled.

"Get off it, Potter. Just because you're a Gryffindor doesn't mean you have to go making up fake emergencies to bolster your bravado," Draco replied from one of the stalls.

"He's telling the truth Malfoy," Hermione countered. "Everyone has been ordered to their dormitories, but we remembered you would be here, and wouldn't-"

She was cut off by the sudden breaking of the bathroom door. Harry and Hermione ducked and took cover in the far corner of the bathroom, as the troll stooped and entered the room. Smelling fresh prey, the troll began to swing it's club wildly, viciously destroying anything in it's path. Among the first to break were the stall walls, revealing a battered Draco Malfoy sitting on a toilet. Fortunately, he was fully clothed. He looked up at the troll in fear, before scampering over to the corner opposite Harry and Hermione. It was a poor choice, as he was now effectively cornered by the troll.

As the troll raised its club to smash down on Draco, Harry stood up.

_Oh, hell. If it worked before, it might as well work again_, he thought, pulling out his want in one swift motion.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Harry intoned, giving his wand a tried-and-true swish and flick motion. The troll's club rose into the air above its head before Harry ceased the spell, causing the club to come crashing down on the troll's head, knocking it out cold.

As Harry went to check on the state of the troll, Hermione went to comfort Draco, who was quaking in fear. No matter how mature or tough he presented himself on the outside, he was still eleven years old at heart, and was prone to fear.

At this moment, the cavalcade of teachers decided to show up, wands at the ready. Professor Flitwick looked around in amazement at the destruction, while Professor Snape glared at the trio. Professor McGonagall took one look at the unconscious troll before speaking.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" she asked.

Draco, who had composed himself by now, rose to answer.

"It was me Professor. I heard about the troll, and I thought I could handle it. I thought that if I defeated it, some of the other guys in Slytherin might respect me more. I guess it was too much for me," he lied.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape interjected, "you were explicitly instructed to report to your dormitories. Your failure to do so could have had disastrous repercussions. As much as it pains me to do so, for your failure in judgment, I am taking away twenty five points from Slytherin." Snape then turned his gaze towards Harry and Hermione. "However noble your intentions were, you two rushed into an unknown situation like a pair of foolhardy Gryffindors. For your failure to follow simple instructions, you have both lost five points from your house."

McGonagall nodded her assent. But she had more to say as well.

"However, I am awarding each of you five points for Gryffindor for sheer dumb luck in defeating a more powerful opponent.. Mr. Malfoy, will you please come with me to the Hospital Wing." The last statement was not a request, but a command. Draco complied, head hung low. She left with the Slytherin in tow.

Before leaving, Snape turned around and ordered Harry and Hermione to their dormitories, and told them that the teachers would take care of the troll from here.

After they left, he muttered under his breath, "And ten points each to Gryffindor for saving a Slytherin." The points board in the Great Hall recorded this change instantly. Gryffindor had actually gained twenty points on the evening, despite the deductions.

After the incident with the troll, Draco's relationship with Harry and Hermione only improved. It seemed that all it took for them to become friends was the simple act of saving his life. While normally this would have further enraged his fellow Slytherins, Madame Pomfrey had discovered during her examination of Draco that his injuries could not have resulted from the troll's attack, as he was never actually struck by the troll. After being pressed by both Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape, Draco finally relented and told them the truth, which angered Snape. Snape immediately strode into the Slytherin common room and announced that if Malfoy ever had any injuries again, even if they weren't inflicted by a fellow student, then every Slytherin would have detention with Mr. Filch for the remainder of their Hogwarts career. He also took one hundred points from his own house. So things with the Slytherins had simmered out for the time being.

About two weeks after Halloween, the trio was headed back to their dormitories from a Quidditch match (in which Gryffindor had defeated Slytherin, thanks to Harry's seeker abilities), when Peeves began to pelt them with water balloons. They ran to take cover, but inadvertently ran into an unfamiliar corridor on the third floor. There was only one door at the end of the hall, so in order to escape Peeves, Hermione used Alohamora on the door and the three students quickly slipped inside. However, as their eyes took in the sight before them in the room, they all three silently agreed that the probably should have been better off facing Peeves. In front of them was a huge three-headed dog, which was fortunately asleep, at least for now. As the trio frantically tried to leave the room, Draco tripped and fell on the ground, waking the sleeping dog. It began to snap and bark at them, but it was too late as the students had managed to get out of the room in time.

Shaken up by their encounter, the students returned to their respective common rooms, determined to find out what such a creature was doing in the school. They figured they would just have to ask Hagrid about it later. Hermione had noticed that it was standing on a trap door, and put two and two together to determine that it must be protecting something.

As Halloween passed, it was now a mad dash to Christmas at Hogwarts. If Halloween was a festive occasion at the school, Christmas made people downright exuberant. Students were excited because they were allowed to go home for the holidays, and that is exactly what Hermione planned to do, until she heard that her parents were going to visit relatives in America for Christmas. Normally, she would have been crushed at not spending Christmas with her family, but two reasons stopped this feeling. One, she was staying at school, the second was that it gave her the opportunity to stay with her friend, Harry, who had no loving home to go home to. The two of them were left alone in Gryffindor tower, as every other member of that house had left the school for the holiday.

As Christmas dawned brightly, the morning sun reflecting off of the newly fallen snow outside, Harry awoke to the calls of Hermione from downstairs. Harry scrambled to make himself presentable before running down the stairs to see Hermione grinning broadly before a pile of presents. He was surprised by the fact that quite a number of them were for him, despite the fact that he had not made friends with Ron this time around. At least he wouldn't be getting a Weasley jumper every year, he reminded himself. However, most of the gifts to him were ones he remembered from before. Rock cakes from Hagrid, and Bertie Botts Beans from Hermione. From Hermione's parents, he received two new pairs of pants and several new shirts, which was fortunate as he had begun to outgrow the clothes they had bought during the summer.

Finally, Harry reached the gift that contained what would become one of his most treasured possessions. He opened the thin box to pull out a sheet of shimmering silver fabric. The note inside only confirmed for him that this was his father's invisibility cloak. Hermione instantly thought of using the cloak to research Nicholas Flamel in the restricted section of the library, as they had heard about him from a slip of the tongue by Hagrid, as they attempted to grill him about what was hidden in the school that was so important that it had to be guarded by a massive dog. Harry had another plan. For a while, he had been getting urges to visit a certain room down the corridor from the library. He was unsure why, as his memories were still somewhat suppressed.

One night, after Hermione had gone to bed, Harry donned his cloak and made his way out of the tower towards the library. After passing it, he saw the familiar door and opened it, walking inside. Inside he found a large, ornately framed full-length mirror sitting in alone in the middle of the room. Harry removed the cloak and set it on the ground next to him before stepping up to the mirror and peering inside, an invisible hand almost guiding him to do so. What he saw shocked him. Instead of seeing himself in the mirror, he saw a person who bore a striking resemblance to himself, albeit an older version of himself. He recognized the person in the mirror from pictures he had seen, as his father.

"Hello again Harry," the image in the mirror said, confusing Harry. He was not used to mirrors that talked back. The mirrors at Hogwarts would offer suggestions about your appearance, but none of them could seem to carry on a conversation with you.

"I can see you are confused," the image of James Potter continued, "so let me remove the block on your memories."

In an instant, years of memories flew from the deep, dark recesses of Harry's mind to the front. He could remember everything from both lifetimes with ease now, but the whole event left him with a splitting headache. Harry could now remember his fight with Ron, his conversation with God, and more. But he was still confused. The first time he had stood here in front of the Mirror of Erised, it had never talked to him, even though the image was similar.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Harry asked.

"Ah yes. I guess this form is not what you are used to. However, Sirius is still alive in this timeline, so it wouldn't do for me to assume his form. I needed to take the form of another father-figure in your life, so who better than your real father, James."

Suddenly Harry realized that this was God. He was visiting just like He said He would from time to time.

"You have done well so far Harry. I sent Draco Malfoy to you at the right moment for you to befriend him. When you became his enemy in your first life, he had no real friends to turn to. He was never dark, even then. He was simply acting out the wishes of his father. When Draco began to not follow the beliefs of his father and many of his housemates in your sixth year, he was ostracized. He lost all of his friends as he never had any allies who followed the light, and as a result sunk into a depression. Later, when he refused to take the Dark Mark of Voldemort after your seventh year, his father murdered him in front of Voldemort to show his loyalty. What you have done by befriending him is taken the first step to saving his life. He will still have a long, hard road ahead of him, but you must be there for him. He will help you before the end," James explained.

Harry wanted to press for more information. "What can I do to change things completely now?" he asked.

"Harry, I do not want you changing too many things too soon. You never know what the consequences may be, even if I do. For now just respond to events naturally, and use your knowledge of your original timeline wisely. It will prove useful more than you could know. In fact, I would suggest that you tell someone about your original time in order to have a fresh set of eyes to help you deal with the coming storm.

You have, however, made one unconscious mistake so far. There have been times when you have betrayed the fact that your knowledge and abilities are far more advanced than your age would suggest. This has led to some rumors amongst the staff of Hogwarts. It would be in your best interest to dispel those rumors as soon as possible."

The image of James Potter began to fade from the mirror. Harry had many questions, but it appeared as though he wouldn't be able to ask them-at least this time.

Before disappearing completely, the image in the mirror decided to speak one last time.

"As always, Harry, do not neglect your relationship with the young Ms. Granger. She will prove instrumental in the coming fight, and will be your light in dark places. I shall see you again Harry," the image concluded before vanishing completely.

Harry was stunned. He had finally learned the true cause of Draco's death in the first timeline. It had always been assumed that he had died in a fight on the Death Eater's side. Now Harry knew that Draco was not inherently dark, which only reinforced his decision to befriend him.

However, as Harry was deep in meditative thought about these new revelations, his thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door, and a lone figure walked into the room…

Author's Note: Ah, another note. Anyway, I hate cliffhangers. Especially if I find them in incomplete fics. However, I thought that if I continued this chapter to include what I wanted to put here, it would get too long. I find that this is just the right length of chapter-not too long, not too short. Don't worry though. While most of you can probably guess who it is, you won't have to wait long. I want to have the next chapter up within the next couple of days.


	8. The More Things Change

Author's Note: Thank you to all of the reviewers. I just wanted to address a few reviews. First, one said that too many events were playing out exactly the same as the first time around. This was a very conveniently timed review, as Chapter 8 was going to be the one where events began to diverge from canon. I just wanted to start the story with a firm foundation in canon, but slowly branch out. This chapter marks the beginning of that. Also, I made some changes to the last chapter to correct some capitalization issues. If you see any problems with this chapter, please let me know. Next, many of you said that the last chapter was not too long, so I made this one longer still. While not nearly as long as some of the ones I have read, this one ends in a spot where I am very happy with it. I said that the last chapter was the most fun to write. But now this one takes the cake. I just couldn't put it down. As always, please review. Finally, I still do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 8

The More Things Change

_Previously on Harry Potter and the Divine Plan…_

_Harry was stunned. He had finally learned the true cause of Draco's death in the first timeline. It had always been assumed that he had died in a fight on the Death Eater's side. Now Harry knew that Draco was not inherently dark, which only reinforced his decision to befriend him._

_However, as Harry was deep in meditative thought about these new revelations, his thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door, and a lone figure walked into the room…_

_And now the continuation… _

Harry Potter looked up to see the door open and Professor Dumbledore stride into the room. He took one look at the figure of Harry, sitting on the floor before the Mirror of Erised, before sitting down next to him.

"Harry, know that this mirror does not tell the truth. It can show you your heart's deepest desires, but it will not bring you happiness. It will drive you to madness," Dumbledore explained to Harry softly.

"Ah, that is where you are wrong, Professor," Harry replied, "the Mirror does show the Truth. There are just those who cannot see it."

Dumbledore was perplexed. "Harry my boy, I do not understand. However, that is not the reason I have sought you out this evening. I must discuss a critical matter with you."

At this, Harry's attention piqued. He couldn't remember Dumbledore having anything important to share with him in his first year, or for several more years for that matter. Harry motioned for Dumbledore to continue.

"Harry, some of your teachers and I have seen you perform abilities that are far beyond your grade level. Your skills in transfiguration are at least equivalent to a seventh-year, according to Professor McGonagall, while in Charms, Professor Flitwick tells me that you perform all assignments wandlessly when you think he isn't looking. Professor Snape has given you equally glowing praise, which is unusual, as I have never heard him praise a Gryffindor. My question, Harry, is whether there is something you aren't telling us?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir," Harry lied.

"If I asked you what your thoughts about the Dark Arts were, what would you say, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry snorted at the question. "You…you think I'm going dark?" he asked incredulously.

"The signs are all there, Harry. Extremely advanced magic," the Headmaster paused as Harry felt a slight push against his mental shields, "proficiency in Occlumency, and you have even begun to associate with the child of a well-known Death Eater. So I ask again, Harry, what is it that you are hiding?"

Harry was at an impasse. He realized, after pondering the words that God had placed in his head about telling others his secret, that there was only one course of action for him to take.

"Professor, perhaps we should adjourn to your office for now," Harry suggested, "it is more secure for what I need to tell you."

Dumbledore nodded in assent, and the pair stood up and headed through the castle towards the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore whispered the password, which was "Chocolate Frogs" this year, and the two rode the stairs to the top. Dumbledore walked to his desk and sat down in the chair behind it, then conjured a second chair for Harry to sit in.

"Now what is it you needed to tell me Harry?" Dumbledore asked patiently.

"I know everything sir. Everything you are hiding from me, that is. I know about the Stone, where it is, and what is guarding it. But more importantly, I know about the Prophecy. Yes, _that_ Prophecy."

Dumbledore eyes were wide with disbelief, and he opened his mouth to question how Harry could possible know these things. But Harry just put up his hand and motioned to allow him to continue.

"Professor, you are right that I possess abilities far beyond my year. But I can assure you, I am not going dark. Far from it in fact. You see, sir, while my body may be that of my eleven year old self, my mind is from my twenty year old self. In the vernacular, sir, I have come back in time to change events that went… shall we say, unexpectedly."

Professor Dumbledore sat up at this revelation. While he felt that it was a stretch to imagine it, he knew of the existence of time-turners, so the feasibility of what Harry was suggesting was not out of the question.

Harry continued with his tale, starting from the beginning. "Nine years from now, the wizarding world is at war with Voldemort. After a long, desperate battle on the grounds right outside the gates to this school, only myself and my two closest friends remained, along with a few survivors including yourself. Voldemort had never shown up, so we could only assume that this was not the final battle. As we took stock of our losses, one of my friends drew his wand and fired the killing curse at me. Apparently he had been a spy for Voldemort for years. My other friend jumped in front of the curse, dying for me. In my rage I killed the traitor, but it was in that moment of distraction that Voldemort apparated behind me and killed me as well." Harry purposefully had left out the names of his friends for now, as Ron had not _technically_ done anything wrong yet in this timeline.

"I reawoke in a white expanse with the figure of Sirius Black in front of me. He explained that He was God, but had assumed a form I was familiar with. In essence, I was told that events had not gone according to plan. Voldemort was never supposed to win, and I was never supposed to be killed. Voldemort had descended from Heaven as a fallen angel, with knowledge about the futures of everyone on Earth. He inhabited the body of a young wizard, Tom Riddle, and used his knowledge in his first rise to power. Through a Divine Plan meant to thwart his efforts, the prophecy about me was allowed to be made. You know the rest of the story since then, sir."

"God has sent me back in time to change the course of events so that history, or in this case, the future, does not repeat itself. I was allowed to keep my abilities during the trip. The wandless magic I actually learned from you, in private lessons held during my seventh year. The Occlumency was necessary to protect the secrets I carry around in my head. Regarding the other advanced skills in my classes, those are simply a result of my already having taken all seven years of schooling here."

Now it was Dumbledore's turn to speak. "Harry, while I would like to believe what you say, there is simply no proof that you are telling the truth. It would be far easier for one to believe that you are being influenced by Dark forces-"

"Professor," Harry interrupted, "may I use your Pensieve?" Dumbledore only nodded and went to the cabinet in the corner of his office to retrieve the dish. He placed it on his desk and stepped back, watching as Harry stepped towards the Pensieve and withdrew a long, thin silver thread from his temple with his wand. Harry placed the strand in the bowl.

"I have just put my memories of my conversation with God into your Pensieve. As you are well aware, Headmaster, Pensieve memories cannot be fabricated without leaving telltale evidence. Surely you remember those flaws in Professor Slughorn's memory?" Harry asked slyly. Without further comment, Harry and Dumbledore dove into the Pensieve memory.

The two found themselves in the white void that Harry had described. As they looked around, they could see a much older Harry standing there, and within short order, the form of God, or in this case Sirius Black, appeared before him. Both watched as Harry and God engaged in the same conversation Harry had so ably described only a few short minutes before, albeit in greater detail. After several minutes of observation, both withdrew from the Pensieve. Dumbledore silently sat down in his chair for a few moments with a pensive look on his face. Finally, he spoke.

"Alright, Harry my boy, I believe you. I could never believe that you would go Dark, but I simply had to make sure. It is my duty to protect the students of this school after all. But the greater issue is, now that you are here, what do we do?"

Harry thought about this for a moment. Up until this point, he had simply played things by ear, not really planning his actions in advance. As a result, events had turned out quite similarly to what he remembered, but with different characters in each role. Now things would have to change.

"I'm actually not sure, sir," Harry began. "I've really only taken things one day at a time so far. I was hoping that two heads would be better than one here."

"Well, Harry, in order to help you I need to know what is going to happen. Normally I ask, no demand, that you not reveal any details about the future. However, as it appears that The Almighty is protecting the integrity of the time stream, I believe we are safe," Dumbledore responded.

"I can tell you what is going to happen. However, I will confine my story to what happened from here on during my original first year. Sir, you are aware of the Philosopher's Stone, hidden in this school," to this Dumbledore nodded. "What you may not be aware of, however, is that there is currently a plot in the works to steal the stone right out from under your nose. I know you moved the stone here to protect it, however the culprit in this case is a Hogwarts Professor. Professor Quirrell. Quirrell has been possessed by Voldemort, sir, and is trying to get the stone to regain his physical form and become immortal. Should everything go the same as last time, he will make his attempt at the Stone at the end of the year."

Dumbledore pondered these new developments. Suddenly he jerked his head up, with his trademark twinkle in his eye.

"Harry, I trust you still have your father's cloak with you?" Harry just lifted it up in confirmation. "Good." Dumbledore continued, "Please put it on and wait in that corner over there. I will tell you when it is safe to reveal yourself."

Harry donned the cloak and stood in a the far corner opposite the Professor's desk. When he was in place, Dumbledore rose from his desk and walked over to his fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the fireplace, then stuck his head in, shouting "Professor Quirrell!"

A moment later, Dumbledore withdrew his head from the flames and sat back down.

"Harry, I have just summoned Professor Quirrell. Please remain as silent as you can until he leaves."

Suddenly the Floo flared up again and Professor Quirrell stepped out.

"You…you…wan-wanted to see me-me Hea-Headmaster?" Quirrell stuttered, looking around the office shiftily.

"Yes, Quirinus. I have just been sent an urgent summons to the Ministry of Magic, for a heretofore unscheduled meeting of the Wizengamot. I may be gone for at least a week, and I will need you for a special task."

"Any-anything, Headma-master."

"I need you to keep an eye on the Stone," Dumbledore said in a hushed tone, belying the secrecy of the task. "You should only need to check on it once or twice, but I need you to make sure it is safe during my absence. Can you do this Quirinus?"

"Of…of course, Headmaster." Quirrell responded in an unsure tone.

"Excellent," Dumbledore exclaimed, clapping his hands together and startling Quirrell. "I shall leave first thing in the morning. Until I return, I leave the safe keeping of the Philosophers Stone in your hands as our resident Defense Master. That is all Professor."

Quirrell bowed in respect to Dumbledore before exiting through the main office door.

A few moments later, after they were sure that Quirrell was indeed gone, Harry removed the cloak and returned to his seat in front of Dumbledore's desk. The Headmaster was the first to speak.

"As you can plainly see, Harry, I have no intention of leaving. I have put into action a plan that, should everything go smoothly, will allow us to apprehend Professor Quirrell and protect the Stone. Though I trust that your wisdom and skills are far beyond your seemingly young years, for now I must ask you to return to your dormitories, and I will summon you when your assistance is required. Good night, Harry."

Just as Harry made to leave the office, he turned around to say one last thing to Dumbledore. "Sir, I know that the rest of the staff has doubts about me. If you could possibly placate those doubts without revealing the truth, I would appreciate it. Please do not tell anyone my real situation unless I say so, sir, as I want to be the one to reveal it to select people."

"Of course, Harry. This new revelation only makes you more valuable to the light. I will do everything in my power to protect both you and your secret. You have my word on that." With that, he turned towards the papers on his desk, indicating that the conversation was over.

As Harry left the office, he couldn't help but think what his mentor had in mind with this plan. Whatever it was, they were heading into uncharted territory, and Harry had no clue what lay ahead.

* * *

Five days later found Harry and Hermione sitting in their Transfiguration class, learning to transform twigs into quills. The rest of the students had arrived back at school three days ago, and for several days, Headmaster Dumbledore had remained incognito. Nobody had heard from or seen him in days. It was as if he was really gone, but Harry knew better. Suddenly, the doors to the Transfiguration classroom opened, and said Headmaster walked in.

"Professor McGonagall, please excuse my interruption. May I borrow Mr. Potter for a bit?" he asked in a tone that indicated that this was not a request.

"Of course, Headmaster. Mr. Potter, you are excused. Please go with Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall answered.

Harry quickly packed up his bags and left with Dumbledore. The former was surprised at how quickly the latter walked, despite his outward elderly appearance. Harry had to struggle to keep up on his shorter legs.

During their walk towards the third floor, Dumbledore explained what was going on.

"A few moments ago, Harry, an instrument on my desk went off, alerting me that a ward within the school had been breached. I had placed this particular ward on the room that held the Philosopher's Stone, to indicate when anyone entered that room. The ward was also configured to detect a person's magical signature when the breached ward. It appears that Professor Quirrell has made his move on the Stone. I need your help as, right now, there is no one in this castle that I trust more on this matter than you. You have been in this situation before, and your help will be invaluable, I'm sure."

As the pair came within sight of the door to Fluffy's Room (as the Trio had taken to calling it), a slight flick of Dumbledore's wand caused the door to fly open. The soothing sound of harp music echoed through the corridor, and when they entered the room, the two could see a sleeping Fluffy, next to a floating harp. The trap door on the floor was already opened, so Dumbledore quickly jumped down. Harry could hear a yelp of glee come from the opening as the Headmaster landed. Harry then jumped in as well.

Instead of landing on the soft growth of Devil's Snare, as Harry expected, he landed roughly on his backside on a hard, concrete floor. Dumbledore saw the look of confusion on Harry's face and immediately knew its cause.

"The first test has already been passed," he explained simply. It was true, not only had the Devil's Snare been passed, it had actually been destroyed by the first visitor here. The two walked briskly through the door at the end of the narrow hall. In this room, the floor was littered with keys of all shapes and sizes. Not one was still flying. Near the door at the far end of the room lay one key that was larger than the rest. Obviously it was the one to the door. Dumbledore tried it, and the door swung open with a creak. Harry and Dumbledore continued down the path.

In the next room, Harry was half expecting to see the chess set that he and his friends had faced the first time around. The other half of him was expecting it to be destroyed just like the previous two obstacles. In the end, the second half was right. The chess room was a disaster area. Shards of broken marble littered the floor, while the broken chunks of the pieces lay strewn about the room as though an extremely powerful force had come through the room like a tornado. Dumbledore was beginning to get worried. These tests had been placed here by the best and brightest minds Hogwarts had to offer. However, they had been thrown aside with such apparent ease that it concerned even a wizard as powerful as Albus Dumbledore.

As soon as Harry and Dumbledore passed into the next room, after stepping over the broken bits of chess pieces, they were greeted with a grotesque sight and smell. In front of them lay the decapitated remains of a troll. The head was separated and was laying across the room, having been sliced cleanly off. Grateful that they wouldn't have to fight that, Harry pinched his nose and continued to the next door.

The next room that greeted them was, thankfully, exactly how Harry remembered it. As soon as they entered, flames sprung up blocking both doors to the room, and the table in front of them held seven different bottles. Fortunately, Harry clearly remembered the solution to the potions riddle.

"Professor, the smallest bottle is the one that will let us through. But there is only enough for one of us…" he finished solemnly.

"Harry, you forget that you are a wizard," Dumbledore replied with a soft smile, as he removed his wand from his robes. He then proceeded to duplicate the smallest bottle of potion, giving each of them enough to drink. After feeling the familiar icy feeling that accompanied this particular potion, Harry, along with Dumbledore, walked through the flames guarding the door. Before he opened the door, Dumbledore spoke.

"Wand at the ready, Harry. We do not know what awaits us on the other side of this door. Best to be careful. Above all, however, I need you to trust me."

As Harry withdrew his wand, Dumbledore opened the door, and the two stepped through into the final chamber.

Inside the chamber, a lone figure awaited them. As expected, it was Quirrell, but he had already removed his turban. Quirrell was facing towards the door and away from the mirror, which Dumbledore found odd.

Quirrell looked at them in disguise, before pointing at them. "You! You aren't supposed to be here, old man!" he yelled.

"And neither are you, Quirinus. How much has Tom promised you if you get him the stone? Power? Money? In the end, you know you will get nothing except death," Dumbledore replied.

At this, Quirrell began to chuckle softly. "You never bother to _really_ understand your surroundings, do you old man? I have been given a greater honor than any of those things. I have been honored to help the Dark Lord regain his strength." At this, Quirrell turned around to reveal his 'alter ego,' Lord Voldemort. The second face began to speak.

"Ah, Dumbledore, how nice of you to come and see me after all these years. I almost thought you forgot about me. And Harry! How nice to see you again too. I wonder, what has the doddering old coot told you now? I can give you the world, Harry. Anything you want, its yours for the taking. All you must do is join me. Join me, and together we can do great things, and become greater than any before us."

At this, Harry just smirked. "I know your secret Voldie." Voldemort glared at this. "I know your true origins, and your real motives. You cling to your mantra of purifying the magical world to placate your followers, but little do they know that your designs are greater than that. It is my responsibility to stop you. You. Will. Not. Succeed."

"You will try to stop me. But what can an ickle, little first-year do against the greatest wizard who ever lived?" Voldemort challenged.

Dumbledore interjected at this point, tiring of the verbal tennis match the two had started. "I tire of this talking. Shall we dance, Tom?" he asked.

"You're right, old man. Enough talk," Voldemort responded, as Quirrell turned back around, wand in hand, legs apart in a dueling stance.

Suddenly, curses began to fly between Dumbledore and Quirrell. Curses Harry had never seen before. No matter what Voldemort had said about Dumbledore being old, he still had the agility of a young man, and was able to expertly dodge the spells sent his way. Quirrell conjured a barrage of spears that began to fly towards Harry and Dumbledore, while the latter was still recovering from a barely evaded curse. With only seconds to act, Harry silently cast a powerful Protego shield that formed a dome over the pair, causing them to bounce harmlessly off and away.

Quirrell stood there in shock for a brief moment, as Harry drew himself up to his full eleven year old height. With a look of deep concentration upon Harry's face, suddenly the ground beneath Quirrell began to rumble. After a brief second, the ground violently erupted in a shower of stone a flame, knocking the possessed Defense Professor up into the air and back down to the ground.

Taking advantage of this moment of opportunity, Dumbledore summoned all of his strength to cast an impervious Incarcerous charm on Quirrell, binding him with unbreakable ropes. Due to the strength of his opponent, and the possibility that he could break the ropes, Dumbledore was forced to use all of his strength just to maintain the spell. As he gradually got weaker, he called to Harry.

"Finish this, Harry," Dumbledore wheezed, trying to maintain control over his prisoner.

Looking squarely at their opponent, Harry mimicked what they had seen two rooms ago. "Sectumsempra!" he bellowed for effect, and a beam of light leapt from his wand and sliced through the neck of Professor Quirrell, forever separating his head from his body.

Exhausted, Dumbledore released the hold on the body of Quirrell, before both slumped to the ground. Harry rushed over to help his Headmaster, who just looked up at him and smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm not as young as I once was, Harry." Both chuckled lightly as this, not noticing the vapor that began to rise from the corpse of the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The mist swirled around for a moment before escaping through the closed door. The spirit of Voldemort had escaped.

* * *

After returning to the trapdoor and transfiguring a rock into a ladder so that they could climb back into Fluffy's Room, Harry and Dumbledore were confronted by two distraught looking witches. Although the two had only been scraped up, and not seriously injured, Hermione took one look at Harry and rushed over to him, enveloping him in a tight hug. For her part, Minerva McGonagall just gave Dumbledore a small smile as a single tear slid down her cheek. Both witches were apparently happy to see them.

The quartet visited the hospital wing to have the two wizards checked for injuries, before retiring to the Headmaster's office, where Hermione and McGonagall were treated to the entire story of what had happened (minus the truth about Harry). The two newcomers sat slack jawed as the story was told. Neither of them had, for a second, suspected a Hogwarts Professor as wanting to steal the Philosopher's Stone, let alone Quirrell. After recovering from their astonishment, both began to angrily admonish the two males for reckless behavior, or at least for not taking them along for backup. Harry and Dumbledore sat there silently, taking it all in, and smiling as they were yelled at. When Hermione and McGonagall had finished, the group adjourned, as it was getting late. Professor McGonagall escorted Harry and Hermione back to their tower, still berating Harry along the way.

The next morning at breakfast, Draco sat at the Gryffindor table, anxious to hear the details of the previous day's exploits. Once again, Harry regaled the tale, but this time he was rewarded with a clap on the back and an "All right, mate!" from Draco. The blonde had definitely taken the place of Ron in the trio as far as Harry was concerned, but there seemed to be less jealously emanating from Draco than from the red head.

The next several months of the term passed quietly. Without a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore had taken up that position himself, intent on correcting the hitherto undiscovered deficiencies in Quirrell's curriculum. With the Headmaster as their teacher, the students were forced to work harder and take the class more seriously. However, they were rewarded for their hard work, as Dumbledore's Defense class was more focused on practical learning rather than theoretical. Once a week he would set aside a class for dueling practice and technique. He had seen first hand that Voldemort was still out there, and he wanted his students ready for any eventuality.

While first-years were only taught basic jinxes, later years were taught advanced spells and dueling strategies. Harry's classes tended to focus on defense against dark creatures as well as the general effects of various curses, and once again, Harry proved himself to be somewhat of a prodigy in the realm of Defense. All in all, most of the students found it to be a vast improvement over their previous Defense class.

Very quickly, however, the term came to a close. Final exams passed mainly without incident, and Harry and Hermione found themselves at the top of their class. Draco was not far behind. With about a week to go before students were to go home, the school seemed to be on autopilot, as everyone began to wind down. Six nights before students were scheduled to leave found Harry tossing and turning in his sleep. He was in the throes of a nightmare. Harry was used to nightmares, as Voldemort liked to plague his dreams at night during his previous life. But this was different. Apparently as a result of his anxiousness about heading home to the Dursleys, Harry was having a nightmare about his cupboard, as well as his other most despised thing in that house: Vernon's belt.

Suddenly waking up drenched in sweat, Harry put on his slippers and quietly snuck downstairs to the common room to calm down. On the couch there, however, he found Hermione, who was naturally engrossed in another book.

She looked up. "Hey Harry, what are…Harry! What's wrong?" she asked worriedly after taking in his appearance.

"Nightmare," he responded tiredly. Hermione motioned for him to sit down, which he did.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, with a hint of concern in her voice. Harry just shook his head in response, so she wrapped her arms around him to comfort him, dropping her book in the process. She didn't care.

They sat like that for more than an hour before either of them spoke.

"I was back at the Dursleys," Harry began. "It was Christmas, four years ago. Everyone had opened their presents, but there was still one left under the tree. It had my name on it. Aunt Petunia handed it to me and I tore into the paper. It was the first present I had ever been given. Inside the box I found a belt with a note attached to it. It read: _To Vernon with love, Petunia and Dudley_. Uncle Vernon just yanked the belt out of my hand and grabbed me by the neck, taking me over to the kitchen table. He ripped my shirt off and unfolded the belt. Then he…" Harry stopped, tears streaming down his face.

"Shhh…Harry, you don't have to finish. It's okay, I'm here. Shhh…" Hermione comforted.

"No, its alright," Harry said before he continued. "He whipped me. Again. And again. All the while he would say things about how I was a freak and how he was teaching me a lesson for thinking I would get presents. When he was done, he threw me in my cupboard and locked the door. I can't remember how long I was in there. I think it was three or four days before they let me out or gave me anything to eat or drink. The beatings would happen at least once a week, for the smallest things like walking too loudly or overcooking breakfast. But I was living that one day over and over again tonight. No matter how many times I would try to fall asleep, I just ended up back there on that day," Harry finished.

At this, Hermione pulled Harry down to lay on her lap. She then grabbed a blanket and threw it over Harry's form. She was going to help him sleep tonight no matter what it took. He was her first and best friend, and she would show him how much he meant to her. After a few silent moments, she felt Harry's breathing normalize, and she knew he was asleep. Tucking her arm under her cheek, Hermione sighed and leaned up against the arm of the couch, and fell asleep herself; her last thoughts being that she would need to borrow Hedwig in the morning.

* * *

The next morning came quickly for both Harry and Hermione. Harry awoke first, and got up slowly so as not to wake Hermione. After talking with her the night before, he had finally gotten a few hours of peaceful sleep, and he was not going to deny the same to her.

Eventually, Hermione awoke as well, and the two returned to the dormitories to get ready for the day. Over breakfast in the Great Hall with Draco, Hermione broke the silence that had lingered between the two of them all morning.

"Harry, can I borrow Hedwig today? I wanted to send one last letter to my parents before we leave next week."

"Sure, Hermione," Harry responded. "I'm sure she'd love the chance to stretch her wings a little."

The meal continued in comfortable silence. When she finished, Hermione grabbed her ever present books and hurried out of the Great Hall to the owlry.

"Why is it, that even after classes are over, she still has books with her?" Draco asked in a light tone.

"I don't know," Harry said, "but I think its kinda cute."

"Oh no you don't!" Draco said with a touch of horror. "We're way too young to start thinking like that.

_That's what you think, Draco, Harry thought to himself._

Later that day, Hermione came rushing into the Great Hall to find Harry and Draco in the midst of an intense game of Wizard's Chess.

"Harry, do you have a minute?" she asked hurriedly.

Harry stood up, "Sure, Hermione. What's up?"

"Well, you know how I said I was going to send a letter to my parents?" she began. Harry nodded. "Well, I kinda told them about what you said last night…" she stopped at the horrific look on Harry's face. "Not everything," she quickly amended," just some of it. Anyway, I asked if it would be okay if you spent the summer at our house. They just sent their response back…Harry, they said you could stay with us!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry felt a surge of relief pass through his veins. He wouldn't have to set foot in that wretched home again this summer. He hugged Hermione tightly before a blush crept into both of their faces and they separated. Harry thanked Hermione profusely before returning to his chess game. In his exuberance, he was able to soundly trounce Draco.

The next day, Professor McGonagall passed around a sheet to her house asking them to write down where they would be staying for the summer. Harry and Hermione both wrote her address and passed the paper back to their head of house.

Later in the day, Harry and Hermione were both summoned to the Headmaster's office. Having remembered the password from his last visit here, Harry let them both into the office where Dumbledore was waiting.

"Ah, Harry, Miss Granger. Please have a seat. Lemon drop?" he asked, offering a tray of candies to them. Both of them politely declined.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "I have asked you both here today to discuss Harry's summer plans. Harry, I see that you have put down Miss Granger's address as where you are staying for the summer. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied.

"I see. Harry, I must urge you to reconsider this choice. While the Grangers are wonderful people, their home is unprotected against magic. You could be in grave danger there. Instead, I suggest that you return to your Aunt and Uncle's home on Privet Drive for the summer. There are special wards around that house that will protect you in the event of an attack."

Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore was talking about, but decided to hold his tongue and not say anything. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered, as Hermione decided it was her turn to speak.

"Sir, you say these wards will protect Harry from outside forces that wish him harm?" she asked, and Dumbledore nodded in affirmation. "Will they protect him from inside forces that wish him harm as well?"

"Whatever do you mean, Miss Granger? I can assure you that Harry has no enemies within the Dursley residence."

"With all due respect, Headmaster, that's bollocks." Harry sat up at hearing Hermione talk like this. Dumbledore was likewise shocked. Hermione continued, "Harry has been beaten and abused for years while he lived there. His bedroom for ten years has been the cupboard under the stairs. Now how can you say that he has no enemies in that house?"

"Is this true, Harry?" Dumbledore asked in a dangerous tone.

Harry nodded and proceeded to tell Dumbledore about his dream a few nights prior, going into the same amount of detail as he had with Hermione. At the end of the tale, he looked at Dumbledore, who had gone pale and whose eyes were now misty.

"Harry…I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive an old man for his mistakes. I was the one who placed you with those relatives. I thought it would be a loving home and that you would be better served being raised in the muggle world away from the specter of your celebrity. But I was wrong, and for that I apologize. I had promised you that I would protect you no matter what the cost, but in my haste to do so, I did not see the abuse that was sitting right in front of me. It is true, that you are exceptionally valuable to our cause, for more reasons than one," Dumbledore added with a twinkle in his eye, not wanting to reveal too much to Hermione, "but that does not mean you should be denied basic rights and amenities."

"It's alright sir, I don't hold it against you," Harry consoled. It was odd how the tables had now turned and it was Harry who was comforting the Headmaster. Dumbledore looked at Harry.

"You don't understand Harry. Those were not the only blood relatives you could have lived with. There was one other. I just thought you would be safer in the muggle world."

Harry had never heard that he had any other living relatives. He had been told that the Dursleys were the only ones with whom he could live. "I don't follow Professor. I was always under the impression that the Dursleys were my only relatives. Who was the other?"

Dumbledore sighed before answering. "Me."

Harry was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to do or say, so he settled for sitting in his chair with a wide-eyed look on his face, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"Years ago, I was blessed with a wife, but she was killed during the war with Grindlewald. Before she died, she gave birth to our daughter, who we named Athena Dumbledore. After I defeated Grindlewald, I raised her in this castle, watching her grow up into a strong young woman. While she was a student here, she fell in love with a young pureblood student. His name was Henry Potter. He was your paternal grandfather. I wholeheartedly approved of their marriage, and years later their only son, James, was born. Athena and Henry raised James to be an exceptional young man, with a bit of a mischievous side if I do say so myself. Sadly, shortly after James and Lily were married, Athena and Henry were killed during the first war against Voldemort. That was several years before you were born. You see, Harry, I am your great-Grandfather."

Harry let this sink in for a moment before launching himself at Dumbledore and wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. Hermione had been sitting silently for the entire conversation, but now found her eyes growing damp at the scene before her. She could barely hear Dumbledore's whispers to Harry in their hug.

"I can never begin to tell you how sorry I am, Harry. I thought it would be safer if you were not associated with me, as that coupled with your natural fame would have only made your life more difficult. I can see now that you had a difficult enough upbringing as it is," Dumbledore whispered as Harry pulled away and returned to his seat.

"Harry, I can't hope to ever make up for the mistakes I have made, but I would like to try. You will never have to return to Privet Drive again. You may stay with the Grangers this summer. However, I would like to set up some wards around their house for defense. Also, with both of your permission, I would like to visit regularly to check up on you and catch up. Harry, I want to be the family you never had. I love you, Harry."

The last statement caused Harry to break down again. Nobody had ever told him that they loved him. Hermione thought it sad that they boy who did not know love growing up was so capable of loving. She silently vowed that she would never leave his side again. She would always be there for him.

The three sat in the office for a few more minutes discussing what would happen over the summer and how their term had gone, before Harry and Hermione left the office to return to Gryffindor tower. That night, they both began to pack up their belongings, as they would be leaving school in only a few days.

Three days later found the Trio at Hogsmeade station. Dumbledore had bid them goodbye earlier in the day, saying that he would see them soon. Draco was confused about what this meant. On the train ride, Harry and Hermione explained all that had been revealed about Harry's family, and Dumbledore's role in it. Like Hermione, Draco was touched, but at the same time saddened. Harry had now found a loving family, but he was returning to a family that was becoming more and more hostile towards him. But he figured that his Slytherin independence would see him through the summer and into the next school year.

Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had passed eventfully. Harry had found new allies, friends, and family. Right now, life couldn't be better.


	9. The More Things Stay the Same

Author's Note: Here it is, chapter 9. I just wanted to thank those of you who reviewed the last chapter. In response to one of the reviews, I made some changes to the last chapter to better explain that Dumbledore does not have Alzheimers, or is just forgetful. So that you don't have to sift through it again, I'll explain it here. Basically, Harry asked Dumbledore not to tell anyone about his time traveling unless absolutely necessary. Since Hermione did not know yet, Dumbledore had to maintain that everything was perfectly innocent during their conversation. Dumbledore really did think that Harry was best protected at the Dursleys, which is why he wanted to speak to Harry and Hermione about their summer in the first place. That's the basic gist of it. Other than that, please let me know about this chapter. Reviews have been pretty few and far between, so any reviews are appreciated. Like usual, if you see anything that should be changed, please let me know. I always take reviewer suggestions to heart and make appropriate changes. Also, I am looking for someone to beta this story, so if you are interested, please let me know through PM.

I still do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it.

Chapter 9

The More Things Stay the Same

The Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross Station with the returning Hogwarts students. On board, scores of excited new second-years waited to tell their parents about their first year, while newly graduated students were taking a long last look around before journeying into the rest of their life. The former group was lucky enough to count amongst its numbers The Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, and his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. The three had bonded over a series of trying events during their first year at Hogwarts, and were now ready for a nice, relaxing summer.

Draco was the first of the Trio to disembark from the train. With one last wave goodbye, and a promise to write over the summer, he walked towards his waiting father, who had a cold, calculating look on his face. Lucius Malfoy then shot a nasty glare at Harry, who had jus stepped off the train, before grabbing Draco's arm and apparating them both away.

Harry helped Hermione grab her luggage from the storage compartment on the train before they both headed through the barrier, out of platform 9 ¾ and into the main terminal of the station, to find her parents. Instead of instantly seeing Dan and Emma Granger, Harry's eyes leapt to a familiar figure waiting for him: Vernon Dursley. He waddled over to Harry and roughly grabbed his arm.

"Let's go boy, I haven't got all day," he said, enraged, while trying to pull Harry away from the barrier. "You'll not be spending any more time with those freaky little friends of yours, plotting freaky little things than you have to." Obviously Vernon's vocabulary hadn't improved over the last year.

Harry would have none of it and stood his ground next to Hermione, who grabbed his arm. This only angered Vernon further. He let go of Harry and used both hands to start shaking Hermione in an attempt to force her to let go of Harry.

"Let go, you stupid bitch!" he roared. "Boy, tell your whore to let go. I'll not have her freakishness, or yours, contaminating my family!"

Suddenly, a great force knocked Vernon to the ground. He lay on the ground like a beached whale for a moment before turning onto his back and looking up. Right into the eyes of an incensed Dan Granger, who had just tackled him. Dan, who was actually quite fit looking for his age of nearly forty, looked right into the eyes of a now terrified Vernon Dursley. He pointed one lone finger at the prone man before speaking.

"Don't you ever touch my daughter again you freak." Harry chuckled at the irony. "If I ever see you lay another finger on her or Harry again, I will personally skin you alive with a dull, rusty knife, and then feed you your own skin. Is that understood?"

Vernon only nodded in fear. Dan took one last look at him before responding with a curt, "Good." He then turned to the two children.

'Hermione, sweetheart! Harry, my boy! Great to see you again! Let's grab you things and get out of here. It's terrible how people throw trash around here so brazenly these days."

Harry and Hermione grabbed their trunks and followed Dan out to the waiting car, where Emma was sitting. As she saw them coming she got out and gave each of the two children a hug. After loading both trunks into the car, and hearing Dan comment on how light the trunks were, he must have really bulked up over the past year, he said, they took off. Neither Harry or Hermione wanted to burst his bubble by telling him that their trunks had lightening charms on them to make them both weigh ten kilos each.

The drive passed uneventfully, with Dan regaling the events at the train station to Emma, who grew angry at Vernon. Harry's stories about his life that Hermione had passed on to them now seemed much more real and plausible. The entire episode planted the seed of an idea in the minds of the elder Grangers, but it would take time for that seed to bloom and take effect.

For several weeks, Harry and Hermione lived a carefree existence in the Granger house. Hermione introduced Harry to movie theaters, a pleasure he had been deprived of during his time with the Dursleys. A visit to the local cinema became a tradition at least once per week during the summer. However, Harry's favorite past time was swimming in the Granger's pool, for reasons he was not too proud of. Harry also took to working out in the Granger's small personal gym. While it was far from expansive, there were several different machines available, and Harry was determined not to neglect his physical strength to focus on his magical strength. Both would be crucial in the end.

Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore, whom Harry had taken to calling Grandpa, visited every week to check in on Harry and Hermione. On his first visit, he constructed a series of wards around the Granger house to both alert them to approaching danger as well as provide a line of defense against intruders. He had also taken to talking with Harry and telling him stories about his parents and his early life. Even in his first life, Harry had not had the insight into his parents and their lives that he now had.

The lazy weeks of summer flew by, and faster than anyone expected, July 31 had arrived. Harry didn't realize it was his birthday until he walked downstairs early in the morning to try and make breakfast for the Grangers. However, he was not the first one up. When he reached the kitchen, he saw a huge banner hanging from the ceiling declaring "Happy Birthday Harry!" All three Grangers were already up and dressed, and had a full breakfast sitting on the table waiting for Harry. This was all too much for Harry who had never been given a real birthday before. Sure there had been presents from his Hogwarts friends before, but nobody had ever taken the time to go out of their way for him like this. But this was only the beginning. Over breakfast, Emma let it slip.

"Harry, you better not get too busy today, we have a few guests coming over later for your birthday. So why don't you go get washed up and ready for the day, then go spend some time with Hermione? Everyone should be here around four this afternoon."

The day seemed to drag by for Harry, who had no idea what to expect from a birthday party. He spent some time swimming with Hermione before both of them decided to read over their first-year texts again. They figured it would never hurt to know the material just a little better. All throughout the day, Hermione remained tight-lipped about who was coming or any of the gifts Harry would be receiving.

Finally, at four sharp, the fireplace in the Granger living room flared up. Hermione had gotten permission to add it to the Floo network, and Professor Dumbledore had performed the honors during one of his weekly visits. Guests began to arrive one by one. In the end, Harry counted Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Draco among the guests. Apparently the Grangers had decided to keep this party among close acquaintances of Harry's, and that was perfectly fine with the birthday Boy-Who-Lived.

Dumbledore and McGonagall, who had arrived first, placed their combined gift on the table before each wrapped Harry in a hug, wishing him a Happy Birthday as they did so. Draco arrived soon thereafter and shook Harry's hand in greeting. He was so different this time around, Harry thought.

Dan had ordered several large pizzas for an early dinner, and the food fascinated the three magical guests, none of whom had ever seen a pizza before. In the end, all three were very satisfied, if the fact that there were no leftovers was any indication.

The party retired to the Granger living room, where Harry had several gifts waiting for him. The first one he opened was from Draco, and it included some new Seeker gloves as well as magical water resistant goggles that could replace his glasses during a Quidditch match.

"Thanks, Draco. My old gloves were getting worn out, and now I won't have to keep charming my glasses to repel water during the rain!" Draco just smiled at Harry and absorbed the gratitude graciously.

Harry's next gift came from Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Inside the large box he found two smaller boxes. The first, when opened, revealed an extensive collection of Defense Against the Dark Arts books. There were books on wandless and wordless magic, as well as mastery-level defensive and offensive spells.

"I saw the instant interest you took in Defense this year, Harry my boy, so we thought that some more advanced books would be interesting to you, and may even come in handy," Dumbledore explained rather mysteriously.

The second box was larger than the first. When Harry opened it, he was astonished. They had given him his own Pensieve. Those were neither easy to come by, nor cheap.

Professor McGonagall was the one to explain this gift. "We thought it would be easier for you to organize your thoughts and memories using this rather than having to write every thing down, Harry. I heard about your, um…interest, in using Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve earlier this past year, so we both thought you would like your own. We also loaded it with some of our own memories of your parents during their school years."

Harry looked at Dumbledore for confirmation at Harry's unasked question. The Headmaster simply nodded his head as if to say _"Yes, she knows."_ Harry would have to have a little talk with Dumbledore later but for now he thanked both Professors, as they had obviously put a lot of thought into his gifts.

But the Professors were not done yet. At least, Dumbledore wasn't. He produced a small envelope and handed it to Harry. Inside were documents signed by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and counter-signed by the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones. The documents released Harry from the restrictions placed on him by the Decree for Underage Sorcery, as a reward for "services to the magical world." In other words, they were buttering up to him as the Boy-Who-Lived. Nonetheless, Harry took the gift as it was, a blank check to perform magic, within reason and out of sight of muggles, and thanked Dumbledore for delivering it.

Hermione then handed Harry a small box which contained her present to him. He opened it to reveal a small pendant to hang around his neck. Harry gave Hermione a curious look.

"I found it in Diagon Alley," she explained. "It's charmed to protect you from basic hexes and jinxes, so even if you are attacked by surprise, you'll still have some protection."

Harry hugged Hermione as thanks, who gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before whispering "Happy Birthday" in his ear. Both blushed slightly as Harry returned to his seat. Finally, Dan and Emma handed Harry a large manila envelope. Harry opened it and began to pull out some papers. As he was looking over them, his eyes widened, and Dan began to explain their significance.

"They're guardianship papers, Harry. Well, guardianship _and_ adoption papers. Emma and I have already signed all of them, all that remains is for you to sign. We want to give you a real family, Harry, and we thought this would be the perfect first step."

Harry was in tears, "I…I don't know what to say…" he stuttered.

"Just think it over for a while and let us know what you want. That's all we ask." Harry hugged them both and sat back down. After giving Harry some time to compose himself, the group returned to the kitchen where Emma had made an ice cream cake for Harry's birthday. The thought ran through everyone's mind that if pure bliss could be made into food, this would be it, as the brownie crust and chocolate chip ice cream made a perfect combination. When everyone had had their fill, they sat around having pleasant, surface-level conversation for a short time before Harry thanked his guests one more time and they left.

All in all, this had been Harry's best birthday ever, in either lifetime. He had received the promise of a new family, however, was that what he really wanted?

* * *

Harry awoke the next morning to see Dan and Emma in the kitchen getting ready for the day. Dan was busy sitting at the kitchen table reading the morning paper, while Emma was cooking breakfast. Hermione had not waken up yet. He walked into the kitchen before speaking.

"Mr. Granger…" he began before he was interrupted.

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Dan?" Dan chided lightly.

"Errr…sorry, Dan. Can I speak to you in the other room for a minute?"

Dan just shot a glance at his wife before nodding and following Harry into the living room.

As the two entered the living room, they sat down on opposite couches, facing each other.

"What is it, Harry?" Dan asked quizzically.

"Well, sir, I was thinking over your gift to me yesterday. I, um, would love it if you and Emma became my guardians."

Dan's face broke into a wide smile. He had wanted a son for years, and now he finally had one.

"But…" Harry continued, and Dan's smile faltered, "I can't accept your offer of adoption."

"What? Why not?" Dan asked, confused.

"Sir, I've given this a lot of thought, and, well, I'm not exactly sure how to put it. Let's just say that in a few years, if I wanted to, you know, _possibly_," Harry tried to put it lightly, "date Hermione, it would be pretty awkward if she was my sister." Harry then closed his eyes and waited for the beating to begin. After all, he had seen what Dan did to Uncle Vernon to protect his only daughter, and Harry did not want to be on the receiving end of an overprotective father.

The look on Dan's face was one of horror and delight, if such a combination was ever possible. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he said anything.

"Well, Harry, I can't say I expected to be having this conversation now. In fact, I didn't expect it for several years. I also didn't expect to hear it coming from a twelve year old. Granted, you are one of the most mature twelve year olds I have ever met, but still…Harry, what exactly are your feelings towards my daughter?"

Harry's head bolted up. He had prepared for a number of possibilities for this conversation, but this one had never occurred to him. Of course Dan had chosen one of the questions that was the bane of every potential suitor.

"Umm…well, I…" Harry began, trying to form a coherent answer. "She's my best friend, and I care for her very much. I have for a long time," he added, not elaborating on the amount of time.

"Is that all?" Dan asked with a hint of a light smile in his voice. He was purposefully pushing Harry.

"I…I…I love her. More than a friend, and more than a sister. I can't tell you how I know that yet, but I do. Please don't kill me, sir."

Dan donned a grave look on his face before reaching behind the couch he was sitting on and pulling out a golf club. "I see," he said simply, beginning to tap the club against his open palm menacingly. "And what would be your intentions toward my daughter?"

There it was, the question that, asked in the right tone, would send every young man running for the hills.

"Right now, sir, nothing. I just want to be her friend. But later, if I am somehow lucky enough for her to feel the same, I want to ask her out."

"That's all?" Harry just nodded in response.

"Good answer, Harry. Good answer. Now, young man, I have one last question for you." Harry squirmed as Dan began brandishing the club in an even more threatening manner. "Fancy a game of golf? You know, just some male bonding time?"

Harry nearly fainted at this. This summer might be more difficult than he originally thought. "Erm, not today sir. I'm afraid I'm not particularly good at golf," he answered.

"Good, me neither. I just got the club to look threatening. I really don't know what I would have done if you had said yes though. Either way, Harry, I just want you to know that, even though I haven't known you for too long, I am really impressed by your maturity, and I could think of a lot worse blokes than you for my daughter. Even if you are too young. Just don't you start anything yet, or that club may find other uses than simply threatening you," he added with a small grin, but Harry knew he was completely serious.

The two returned to the kitchen where Emma was waiting. Dan just shot her a look that said _"I'll explain later," _before sitting down at the table to finish reading the paper.

A few hours later, everyone gathered around the table to watch as Harry signed the guardianship papers. As he finished, Emma wrapped him in a hug, while Hermione grabbed him tightly and hugged him like never before. For his part, Dan just shook his hand, shifting his eyes between Harry and Hermione. They both blushed at his scrutiny.

* * *

Later that day, after Dan had left to take the guardianship papers to the local courthouse, Hermione found Harry sitting in his room reading one of the Defense books that Dumbledore and McGonagall had gotten him for his birthday. She knocked lightly on his open door to get his attention. Harry looked up and beckoned her to come into his room.

"I was just wondering, Harry. Why didn't you take my parents up on their offer to adopt you?" she asked.

Harry went wide-eyed. He had to come up with a quick excuse, because the truthful reason he had given her father would not be quite appropriate here. Finally he had it.

"I figured that I would honor my parent's sacrifice. I wanted to remain a Potter through and through so that they would not be forgotten. I really appreciate the offer of adoption, but it was just too much," he lied somewhat. Harry wanted a real family more than anything, but he wanted to be with Hermione more. He had spent years of his previous life pining over her as she dated and married Ron. He was not going to let anything jeopardize that this time around. Hermione eyed him suspiciously before grudgingly accepting his explanation.

Harry decided to change the subject. "Hermione, would you mind if I tested your Occlumency shields?"

Hermione just shrugged, slightly confused at the sudden change in subject. Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at Hermione. "Legilimens," he said, as he suddenly found his mind racing forward. Instantly, he hit a solid wall and stopped. Harry tested the defenses of the wall with his mind, searching for an entry point into Hermione's mind. But he could not find one. Finally, he attempted to climb over the metaphorical wall, but as he did so, he was repelled out of Hermione's mind. Harry opened his eyes to find himself laying on the floor of his room.

"Not bad…" Harry gasped, impressed at the level of control and defense that Hermione had in mind. Obviously she did not only take her studies seriously.

"Harry, what was that all about?" she asked in an almost angry tone.

"For the past year, I wanted you to learn Occlumency for one reason and one reason only, so that you could keep a secret. Now I know that you have shields in place that are more than adequate, so it's time we talked."

Harry took a deep breath before continuing. He was about to spill his deepest secret. Actually, he had just spilled his deepest secret to Dan Granger earlier in the day, but this one came in a close second.

"Hermione, about a year ago, my mind was sent back in time from my twenty year old body to my eleven year old body after I died in a battle with Voldemort. When I died, I met God, and He told me that events had not unfolded in the way that they were destined. As a result, He gave me a second chance at life. If you've noticed, I have more advanced magical abilities than any other student. This is the simple answer to that abnormality. As much as I would like to provide you with concrete proof of my claims through my Pensieve, I can't do that as it would reveal information that you cannot know yet. In time I can show it to you, but for now, I just need you to trust me. I would never do anything to purposefully put you in jeopardy, so please trust me on this."

Hermione pondered this new revelation for a moment. "I trust you Harry. I'm not sure about everything you've said, but I trust you enough to believe you."

"That's all I ask," Harry replied, relieved. "But now that you know the truth, I need your help. You see, this year, we will be given a highly incompetent DADA teacher. We'll meet him at Diagon Alley in a couple of weeks, but he won't really teach us. Anyway, when we meet him, we will also meet up with the Weasley family." At this, Hermione gave Harry a disgusted look. "They're actually not all that bad. Just Ron and his sister, Ginny. The problem with her is that she is obsessed with me. She literally fawns all over me.

But I digress. Draco's dad will sneak a diary into her cauldron in Flourish and Blotts. This diary will be the cause of a series of incidents throughout the course of the year, and will be the basis for an attempt at killing all of the muggle-born students in the school. What we need to come up with is a plan to get that diary away from Ginny and into the hands of Dumbledore, who can safely dispose of it. The problem is, we need to do this without drawing too much attention."

For a few minutes, there was silence as Hermione racked her brain for a plan. Finally, she spoke. "I don't think we can do this without drawing attention to ourselves, or at least yourself. But here is my idea…"

* * *

Two weeks passed before the day that the family would visit Diagon Alley arrived. Harry was the one who picked the date, as he knew the day when the Weasleys originally went shopping. Armed with their shopping lists, Harry and Hermione, under the watch of Dan and Emma Granger, arrived at Diagon Alley and began to collect their supplies for their second year at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione had spent the past couple of weeks refining their plan for retrieving the diary before it could do any damage, and had perfected their timing. They both knew exactly when they needed to be at Flourish and Blotts, so they had planned their shopping accordingly.

At the designated time, Harry and Hermione walked into the bookstore, closely followed by the elder Grangers. They waded through the mass of people to the front of the line, seeing Molly and Ginny Weasley along the way. At the front of the line, they saw a table set up for a book signing, but it was the author that had everyone's attention. Including Hermione's. As soon as she laid eyes on the blonde wizard in front of them, she began to swoon. Gilderoy Lockhart just flashed her his famous smile (for which he had won the award for Most Charming Smile in Witch Weekly), and she nearly fainted. Harry pulled her aside and whispered in her ear.

"Remember, he is just a fraud. He didn't do any of those things in those books, and we're gonna prove it."

The action of pulling Hermione aside only brought Harry to the attention of the vain wizard.

"By Merlin! It's Harry Potter! Ladies and Gentlemen, Harry Potter, the biggest fan of I, Gilderoy Lockhart, has decided to visit this humble author on the release of his celebrated memoirs. Come on up here Harry for a few pictures."

At this, Lockhart descended from his perch and pulled Harry to his side. Harry groaned and frowned for the camera, as Lockhart gave various versions of his smile for each photo. Unfortunately, Harry's luck only managed to get worse. Lockhart opened his mouth to speak again.

"Little did Mr. Potter know when he decided to come to this signing, that he would be leaving with a complete, signed catalog of my collected works. Free of charge, of course." Lockhart smiled again.

While this exchange was going on, Hermione was keeping a close eye on Lucius Malfoy. When she saw him slip the black diary into Ginny's cauldron, she gave a small nod to Harry.

"I could sense the magic pouring off of Mr. Potter when he arrived in this store," Lockhart was still speaking, much to Harry's chagrin. "My extensive work with various magical beings and great dueling expertise has allowed me to detect the magical auras of different wizards and witches. For details, see my collected works."

This was Harry's chance, and he knew it. "If you're such an accomplished duelist," Harry interrupted, "then I hereby challenge you to a wizard's duel."

A murmur passed through the crowed as Lockhart's eyes opened wide. He quickly recovered, however, before responding. "Mr. Potter, as much as I would enjoy dueling a wizard of your reputation, I fear it would be inappropriate of me to duel such a young opponent. My great sense of integrity, as shown in my various acts throughout my books, would not allow it."

Harry sidled up to Lockhart. "Just think of the publicity you would get. The great Gilderoy Lockhart in a public duel with the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. Think of how many copies of your book would sell if you won."

Lockhart thought this over for a moment before speaking to the audience again. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have realized that it would be a treat for you all to witness such a duel. It would be my legendary dueling skills against the magical abilities that defeated You-Know-Who. What an event that would be. Let us adjourn to the Alley outside."

The great crowd began to exit the bookstore and fill the Alley, forming a large circle. Lockhart and Harry were the last to exit, and both went to the middle of the circle. Lockhart appeared slightly nervous as he announced the rules. "There will be no Unforgivables or lethal curses. The first person to disarm their opponent is the winner of the duel. Mr. Potter, who will be your second?"

Harry responded instantly, "I will have no second."

Lockhart was shocked by this. "But…but you must have a second."

"It is not required, and I chose not to. Who is your second?" Harry pressed.

Harry had pushed Lockhart into a corner. If he named a second, he would show that he was weak, but Harry also knew that Lockhart could not defeat him, so he would need a second.

"I chose not to have a second either," Lockhart replied nervously.

"Very well," Harry answered. "Mr. Weasley," he spoke to Arthur, who was in the crowd, "as a member of the Ministry of Magic, I believe it would be best if you officiated the duel. Do you agree Gilderoy?" The latter simply nodded.

Arthur Weasley stepped up to the front of the crowd and motioned for the two duelists to take their positions, leaving Hermione standing right next to Ginny. Both Harry and Lockhart assumed a dueling stance and removed their wands from their robes.

"On the count of three," Arthur began. "One…two…three!"

Harry allowed Lockhart to have the first shot, but he only used his chance to fire a mild Jelly-legs jinx at Harry. Harry simply raised a Protego shield and reflected the spell back at Lockhart, who immediate lost balance. Harry quickly followed this up with a Finite, ending the jinx, as he wanted the duel to continue. No matter what simple spell Lockhart shot at Harry, Harry easily deflected it.

During the entire episode, Hermione had been inching closer and closer to Ginny. Finally, she was close enough, and she quickly grabbed the diary out of Ginny's cauldron, switching it with an older looking book on transfiguration. She did not want the extra book to look out of place with the second hand books already in the cauldron. Hermione then packed the diary away in her bag of supplies before turning her attention back to the duel. She gave Harry another curt nod to say that her task was done.

Knowing that the switch had been made, and having enough of this charade, Harry hunkered down to really begin dueling. He fired a very light Reducto curse at Lockhart, one that was only strong enough to knock the man back. Lockhart flew back onto the pavement, groaning. Harry then followed this up with an Expelliarmus, which caused Lockhart's wand to fly out of his hand. Harry Accio'ed the wand, and raised it up into the air, triumphant.

Arthur stepped over to Harry and grabbed his arm, which was still raised high. "Harry Potter is the winner!" he declared, as the astonished crowd looked on.

Lockhart quickly got up and strode over to Harry, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Well done Mr. Potter. I couldn't have done better myself," Harry found this last part ironic. "You did a great job with your disarming charm, but this was only a mock duel, as I was simply testing you. Quite a good job of it, I think I did, wouldn't you all say?" he asked the crowd, as they applauded. "Mr. Potter, twenty points to your house for your excellent dueling skills when you get back to school next month."

Still addressing the crowd, Lockhart continued. "I am pleased to announce that I will be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts this year. Mr. Potter has just earned points for his house when school resumes in a few weeks, as he did an excellent job in this mock duel. I believe that every event such as this is a learning opportunity, and that is the philosophy I will take into the classroom with me. Than you all for participating in this first lesson."

Harry was astounded at the man's skill. He had just been soundly defeated in a duel by an apparent child, and he had somehow turned the entire event on its head and somehow made himself out to be the hero. _Maybe the man does have some skills after all,_ Harry thought, _Nah._

Harry stalked off of the stage and met up with Hermione, who jumped him and gave him a light peck on the cheek while her parents looked on with smiles on their faces, unbeknownst to the two children.

"You know, the more things change, the more they stay the same. He was just as arrogant and foolish the first time around, and even then I got tired of it after about five seconds," Harry muttered to himself and Hermione as they walked away. The quartet made their way back to the car and drove back to the Granger residence, having secured a dangerous artifact and preventing a potential disaster at Hogwarts during the coming year.

That night, Harry went downstairs to get a glass of water, but he found the light in the kitchen still on and voices belonging to Dan and Emma drifting out of the room.

"So, any guesses on when they'll be an item?" Harry heard Emma ask.

"Emma, they're twelve! If I had my way they wouldn't be a couple until they were forty!" Dan replied.

"Oh come off it Dan. You know that eventually they will be together, and you and I both know that Harry would be the perfect boy for Hermione. He's polite, caring, and very thoughtful. I say fifty pounds on the end of this school year."

Harry heard Dan emit a grumble before he spoke. "Fine. Loathe as I am to admit it, I think that it will happen by the end of next year, their third year. So fifty pounds on then."

Harry smirked to himself. He would just have to make sure that, if anything did develop between him and Hermione (as much as he wanted it to), neither Grangers would win their bet.

* * *

Harry awoke early the next morning to a strange sensation on the foot of his bed. He grudgingly opened his eyes, and through the haze saw a small creature jumping on the foot of his bed.

"Dobby…" Harry moaned, trying to get to a semi-coherent state.

"Harry Potter is indeed a great wizard if he knows of Dobby," Dobby said, astonished.

Finally, Harry was awake enough to carry on a conversation. "Dobby, what are you doing here?"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby should have told Harry Potter why he is coming. Dobby will beat himself with a cane when he returns home."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dobby, you will not beat, torture, or otherwise punish yourself for anything you do here, understand?" Dobby nodded slowly, trying to understand. "Now what did you want?"

"Dobby has come to warn the great Harry Potter that he cannot go back to Hogwarts School this year! Dark things will happen. Dark, dangerous things, indeed!" Dobby explained.

Harry chuckled inwardly. "Dobby, I know that your master planned to plant a diary in a student's belongings, and we stopped him. There is no danger now. So please don't go trying to stop me from going to Hogwarts or trying to put me in danger to get me to leave. It just isn't going to happen."

Dobby was amazed. "Harry Potter is a great wizard!"

"You just said that," Harry muttered.

"Harry Potter knew about master's plan? He stopped it? Now Dobby cannot be punished for telling Harry Potter about master's plans!"

This last line gave Harry an idea that was sure to go over well with Hermione in a few years. "Dobby, who is technically your master?"

"Oh, no. Dobby cannot say who his master is. Dobby would have to cook his hands in the oven if he did."

Harry sighed in resignation. Dobby was always thick. Pure-hearted, but thick. "No, I mean, is Lucius technically your master, or is it anyone in the Malfoy family?"

Dobby looked to be deep in thought, choosing his words carefully. "The entire family of which you speak is Dobby's masters," he answered slowly.

"Good," Harry replied. "Now Dobby, I need you to trust me to stay safe. I don't want you interfering with things this year, is that understood?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will stay out of the way at school this year. Is there anything else, sir?"

"No, that is all. Thank you, Dobby."

Dobby bowed slightly and popped away. Harry scratched his head through his messy hair. Since the diary was no longer an issue, or at least a reduced one, Harry had to find some other avenue for freeing Dobby. He would be a useful ally and friend if he could get him on his side. Harry then looked over to the clock. Seeing that it was only three in the morning, he laid back down in his bed and promptly went back to sleep.

* * *

The last two weeks of summer flew by, and before anyone knew it, it was time to return to school. Hermione, as could be expected, was packed about a week in advance, while Harry did his packing the night before leaving for the station. Harry had taken the diary from Hermione and secured it among his things in order to protect it. They would take it to Dumbledore as soon as they arrived at school. The Grangers had celebrated the end of the summer by taking the two returning students out to dinner the night before they were to leave, and afterwards to an ice cream parlor; Harry's first visit to one.

That night, Harry slept soundly, and Hermione, typically, tossed and turned all night due to the excitement. When the morning came, Harry looked well-rested, while Hermione looked like a banshee with her wild bed head. The both showered and got ready, packed their belongings in the boot of the car, and left. Hermione slept during the hour long trip to King's Cross Station, but awoke about five minutes before they were to arrive.

Once on the platform, Harry and Hermione bade goodbye to the adults, and Harry received hugs from both of them. He found it an odd experience to be hugged by Dan; a man who just a few weeks before had threatened him with a golf club. Giving one last wave goodbye to Dan and Emma, Harry and Hermione boarded the train and found an empty compartment, excited to start their new year at Hogwarts.

A/N: One thing I wanted to do in this chapter was have the typical father/potential boyfriend conversation. While Harry is young, remember he is older in his mind. I can tell you that nothing will happen for a little while at least, but Harry just felt the need to get it out there. He had to come up with an excuse not to be adopted, and that one, while the truth, worked the best for Hermione's father, in my opinion.


	10. The Perfect Partner

Author's Note: This one came to me really quickly and just seemed to flow from beginning to end. After writing this chapter, I may as well throw out my outline, or completely rewrite it, as I really deviated from my original plans. But to quote JRR Tolkein, "This tale grew in the telling." Please read and review. As always, suggestions are welcome, and I take them seriously. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors, please let me know via PM. I am still looking for a beta for this story as well. I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 10

The Perfect Partner

Harry and Hermione had been sitting in their compartment aboard the Hogwarts express for only a few minutes before the door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy. Hermione gave a small gasp as she saw him, and Harry quickly took a look at the newcomer. A large bruise was taking up the left side of his face, and continued down past his shirt collar.

"Merlin, Draco, what happened?" Harry asked, without a shred of tact.

"I, um…fell off of my broom the other day. Hurt pretty bad," he answered unconvincingly.

Naturally, Hermione, in her abundant knowledge, was not easily convinced. But she took his explanation at face value for now, and turned back to the book she had started to read.

"So, um, how was your summer, Draco?" Harry asked, trying to get the conversation onto safer ground.

"It was okay. Pretty boring actually. I think that your birthday was the highlight of my entire summer, Harry. How was yours?"

"Really good, actually. We got to meet our new DADA professor. Don't get your hopes up though, because you'll only be disappointed. Instead I have something I need to ask you."

"Shoot," Draco invited.

"Snape is your godfather, right?" Draco nodded. "Has he ever taught you Occlumency?"

"Yeah, a little bit. He said that it would be useful to protect my mind as there were people around me who could not be trusted. He wouldn't say who though."

"Well, then, there is something that I need to tell you…" Harry began, and he told Draco the entire story he had told Hermione. He had given both of them edited versions of the tale so as not to reveal too much. He would not tell them about the future he had lived, at least not yet. Nor would he tell them about Hermione's destiny. That would be saved for a future date.

The rest of the train ride was spent discussing the events of the summer, and Harry and Hermione had let Draco in on what they had done to get the diary away from Ginny. Finally, the train arrived and the Trio disembarked from the train and headed towards the waiting carriages while the new first years, including Ginny Weasley, went with Hagrid to the boats.

The carriages arrived first and the Trio, along with other students from second through seventh year entered the Great Hall for the start of year feast and sorting. Harry and Hermione parted ways with Draco at the doors, with the pair going to the Gryffindor table, and the blonde going to the unfriendly Slytherin table. After all of the students had sat down, Professor McGonagall led the new first years into the Hall. As the Professor picked up the Hat, Harry heard a familiar voice in his head. But he was not the only one.

"_Ah, Mister Potter, you have returned. And Miss Granger, how nice to see you again."_ Harry stole a quick glance over at Hermione, whose eyes looked about ready to leap from their sockets.

"_Who's talking to me?" _she asked mentally, and Harry could hear her perfectly.

"_Miss Granger, you are so bright, but yet you can't figure it out? Maybe he was right to put you in Gryffindor, even though I thought you would be better in Ravenclaw."_

"_Wait, you're the Sorting Hat? Then how are you talking to me? You aren't on my head!"_

"_I went through this with him last year, also. Suffice it to say that I have a telepathic connection with a very select group of individuals. You are one of those people. Now that you know about the changes to the timeline, it is time that we properly met"_

"_What do you mean 'he' and 'him?'" _Hermione asked.

"_Why young Mister Potter of course. He asked me to put you in Gryffindor, even though he and I both knew you were perfect for Ravenclaw. Right now I am acting as a conduit between the two of you so that we may have a conversation. If you ever have need of such a service again, simply summon me with your mind…"_

"_Hermione, it's not as bad as it sounds, trust me," _Harry's voice suddenly entered her head and interrupted the Hat.

"_Really, Harry? Because it doesn't look that great to me."_

"_Hermione, please. I can explain. I hadn't intended on doing this so soon. There are still some secrets I have kept from you, but not to hurt you. Please, trust me on this. After the sorting, we can find someplace private and I will explain everything, alright?" _Harry pleaded.

"_Fine,"_ came the curt response from Hermione.

The was actually completely new for Harry, as he had missed it during his first life due to the flying car incident. As a result, he was very interested to see how it played out. One of the new students, Luna Lovegood, was still sorted into Ravenclaw. Despite the fact that they could both hear the Hat's musings, neither of them offered any input, but instead sat in silence. That is, until the last new student was called up.

"Weasley, Ginerva," McGonagall called. The young girl that they had both seen in Diagon Alley a few weeks prior stepped up to the stool and the Hat was placed on her head.

"_Ah yes, another Weasley. There is great courage here, great courage indeed. But I sense something more. Something more…ambitious. Ambition that drives you to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. I know the perfect place to put you…_SLYTHERIN!" the Hat announced to a shocked audience. No Weasley in recent memory had been in any house other than Gryffindor.

Reluctantly, Ginny trudged over to the Slytherin table, and was immediately shunned by its inhabitants. Harry thought this was oddly fitting, as she had always been manipulative and cunning when he had known her. Now she was in a house that prized those traits above all else.

The end of the feast came quickly, and all students were dismissed from the Great Hall. Amidst the commotion, Harry pulled Hermione towards a staircase she had never been on before. Soon they found themselves on the seventh floor, across from a portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. Harry let go of Hermione's hand and began to pace in front of the painting.

"Harry, would you mind telling me what is going on?" Hermione asked impatiently.

Suddenly the outline of a door began to appear on the blank wall opposite the painting. When it had fully materialized, Harry beckoned for Hermione to follow him through the door. Inside, she found a comfortable sitting room, with two wing-backed chairs and a roaring fire in a large hearth against the wall. The walls were covered in a rich mahogany paneling that only added to the warmth of the room. Harry walked to one of the chairs and plopped himself down tiredly. He waited for Hermione to sit as well. She finally did so before tearing into Harry.

"What's going on Harry? What have you been hiding from me? This time I want the truth, not some half-baked story that you conjured up as an excuse!"

Harry just sighed. "Hermione, what I told you this summer, and what I told Draco on the train today was the truth. Just not all of it. I didn't want to do this for a few more years, but the Hat sorta forced my hand tonight. So now I will tell you everything.

Hermione, when I was twenty years old in my old life, I died. I died at the hands of Voldemort after I went off in a rage and killed a man. But it wasn't just any man, he was our best friend, and he had been for nine years. He was also your husband. What we didn't know was that he was a traitor to the cause of the light, and had been a spy for Voldemort for several years during the course of the war the wizarding world had been engaged in. However, the cost of finding out he was a spy was too high. I found out he had betrayed us when he fired the killing curse at me during the last battle. I would have died then and there had it not been for you throwing yourself in front of the curse. You died to save me." Harry was in tears at this point, and Hermione got up from her chair to go and comfort him. As she did so, the chair he was sitting in changed into a small couch to allow room for her.

She sat down next to Harry and pulled his head into her shoulder. He was crying over her, and her sacrifice. Thoughts like these kept popping into her mind, and she began to feel pity for him, but at the same time, she was reeling from just learning that she had died to save Harry.

The pair sat like that for several minutes before Harry calmed down. He then continued with his tale. "I was so angry that I just had to kill Ron." Harry stopped suddenly out of panic. He had just revealed who the traitor was.

"Ron? Ron Weasley?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "But he's such a jerk around us. He was our friend?"

"He was the first friend I ever met, but only by a few minutes. I met him on the Express at the beginning of first year, and we became friends instantly. While I met you just a few minutes later, we didn't really become friends until later that year, when the troll attacked you in the bathroom. For the next several years we were an inseparable trio, as we were all sorted into Gryffindor. Eventually you married Ron and, well, you know the rest. This is why I have been so eager to avoid him. I know what he is capable of, but I don't know how things will turn out this time. Instead, we befriended Draco, who was our greatest enemy in school in my original timeline. But I will get to that later.

As I was casting the curse on Ron, Voldemort apparated in behind me and fired the killing curse at me. Just as I killed Ron, Voldemort killed me, and my vision went black." Harry paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. After a moment, he continued.

"I woke in a white room that was completely empty. In front of me stood a figure that I had grown to love as a father figure. I won't reveal who it was yet, but they introduced themselves as God, who said that He had taken that form to comfort me. He explained that events had not transpired the way they were destined to. Years prior, an angel had grown discontented with his role in Heaven, and descended to Earth, taking the form of a newborn baby. That baby's name was Tom Riddle. With designs to rule the world, Riddle attended Hogwarts and grew more and more powerful. When he deemed himself powerful enough, he shed his name and adopted the name he had gone by in Heaven: Voldemort. God watched as Voldemort waged war on the wizarding world, and sent a savior to the Earth who would be destined to defeat Voldemort. He also sent a partner for that savior. Both were born in the same year and were the magical heirs of two of Hogwart's founders.

As you could probably guess, I am one of the two who were sent. I am the magical heir of Godric Gryffindor, which was why the Hat was so quick to put me in that house. Also, it is why I was given access to speak with the Hat telepathically, and why I was able to influence the sorting of students, to a certain degree. However, what you may not know is who the other savior is. It's you. You are the magical heir of Rowena Ravenclaw. That is why you have always been inherently curious and intelligent. The Hat originally wanted to place you in Ravenclaw, but I begged it to put you in Gryffindor. I knew that if you were in a different house than I was, we wouldn't be able to have the same relationship we have now. That is why you are now in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. In my previous life, we were both in Gryffindor and had gotten along very well. I didn't know what I would do without your friendship and guidance this time around.

God gave me the opportunity to send my mind back in time to my younger body in an attempt to set things right. He told me that there would be new allies, enemies, and family members. I have already found all three. Draco and Snape are new allies, Ron is at least one new enemy, and Dumbledore is my new family. The pieces are all beginning to fall into place, and now you know everything. At least, everything I am comfortable telling you at this point."

Hermione sat in silence for several minutes absorbing everything she had just heard. But she was drawn out of her meditation by the one lingering question on her mind.

"What is it that you are still hiding from me, Harry?"

"I…I can't say yet. It has nothing to do with my story so much as…well…It's just, um, personal," he responded sheepishly.

Hermione nodded in acceptance before hugging Harry. "I'm sorry I judged you so quickly and got angry. I didn't have all the facts, and for that I'm sorry."

"Hermione Granger not having all the facts? Impossible!" Harry joked. Both shared a laugh at this, and neither noticed as a mirror materialized on the far wall of the room. It took a voice coming from the mirror to break them out of their laughing.

"Well done, Harry," the figure in the mirror said, as both Harry and Hermione jumped. They both got up and walked to the mirror to see the figure of James Potter looking back at them. Hermione was struck at the physical similarities between Harry and his father, but that was to be expected.

"Well done in telling Miss Granger the truth, Harry. I have been waiting for you to do so, as she will prove to be your most powerful ally in the fight ahead."

"Hermione, I would like to introduce you to God," Harry said in a tone that was almost hilariously casual, considering the who they were talking to.

Hermione almost fainted when Harry said this, but then she remembered that Harry had said that God appeared to him in a fatherly figure, so she figured that this must truly be Him. "Nice to meet you, sir," she squeaked out.

James gave a light chuckle before speaking. "Harry, Hermione, I designed both of you to be perfect for one another. Each of you have traits that balance the other, but neither of you realized how compatible you were in your previous life. You have many trials ahead, but you will never be able to rise to the occasion alone. You need each other. Harry, if you would excuse Hermione and I for a few moments?"

Harry nodded and walked to the other side of the room. He made himself look busy inspecting the wood paneling on the walls. Every now and then he would look over at Hermione, who was busy conversing with the image in the mirror. Suddenly, Hermione collapsed, and Harry ran over to her. He gently picked up her head and cradled it in his arms. Slowly, her eyes fluttered and then shot open.

"Harry!" she screamed, jumping up and grabbing him in a bone-crushing hug. "It's you! I remember now! I remember everything!"

_Of course she knows everything,_ Harry thought as he reveled in her embrace, _I just told her. _The two were broken apart by the image of James Potter clearing His throat.

"Harry, I decided that the task of changing the destiny of the world was a task too great for one man. You will now have help. I have brought back the soul of the Hermione Granger that died and placed it in the one before you. The Hermione you are with now has the memories and abilities of her fully grown self as well as the memories of your time together in this life. She will make the perfect partner for you."

Harry took one look at Hermione and broke into a huge grin. "My Hermione…" he said softly, but loud enough for her to hear.

"Harry, Hermione, the two of you have before you a task more monumental than any attempted by mortal man. I would wish you luck, but there is no such thing as luck-only my will. Farewell for now. I will see you again. Oh, and Harry," Harry looked up, "I think it might be a good time to let her know about the last part of the story." With that, the image of James Potter vanished, as did the mirror. Harry led Hermione back to the couch and they both sat down.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine, really I am. The last thing I remember is the battle on the grounds of the school. Ron had just fired the curse at you and I ran in front of it. That's all I remember. But as I concentrate, I can also remember the last year. Being friends with Malfoy-that's what I'm going to have to get used to though."

"So you remember me telling you the entire story of what happened to me after I died?" Hermione nodded. "Well, there is one more detail I left out, because I wasn't sure how to put it or how you would respond. To put it simply, Hermione…I'm in love with you. I have been for years, even before you married Ron, that traitorous bastard. Sorry, forgive my language. This isn't going nearly as well as I imagined it would. Suffice it to say that I never thought you were interested, and when you went and married Ron, I knew I was right. But now, I feel like I have a second chance, and I just wanted you to know how I truly felt."

Hermione's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Harry, I don't know what to say, except that I love you too. I spent several years pining after you. Not as the Boy-Who-Lived, but just Harry. But you never showed any interest in me either, at least not that I could see. So I gave up and married Ron. I was never really happy with him, and as a result of what I refused to give him, he was never happy with me either."

"I know," Harry said simply, to Hermione's surprise. "Well, not about that last part, but about how you felt about me. When I died, God told me that He had created us for each other, and that we were destined to love each other. But due to the manipulations of Voldemort along with various other changes to the timeline, that never happened. But here we are now…"

Harry just stared into Hermione's eyes, lost in their sparkling beauty for several moments. He then leaned forward and, for the first time ever, their lips touched. Then they pressed together, releasing years of pent-up passion that had never found an escape.

Several minutes later, the two broke apart, gasping for breath, but with huge smiles on their faces. Hermione spoke first.

"What now, Harry?" she asked.

"We should keep this a secret for as long as possible. A few weeks ago I heard your parents having a chat after they thought we were asleep. They were placing bets on when we would get together. The farthest one out was for the end of third year. I was hoping to make it so neither of them won, but that will be really hard. Besides, we're both "too young" to be dating, physically, I mean. But that aside, Hermione Granger, will you be my…"

"Of course I will!" she interrupted. "You didn't even have to ask Harry Potter! Of course I will be your girlfriend."

After another several minutes of heavy snogging, Hermione looked at the clock that had appeared on the wall and jumped.

"Harry! It's past one in the morning. Curfew was several hours ago!" she panicked.

Harry, for his part, just chuckled and pulled out a familiar piece of cloth from his robe. He enlarged it and Hermione immediately recognized it as his invisibility cloak. "Can't say I didn't come prepared, can you?" he asked with a sly smile.

The two huddled under the cloak, a task that was much easier for them now than it was when they were bigger, and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. When they had safely arrived, Harry bid Hermione goodnight at the base of the girls stairs and both went to bed, excited about what lay ahead of them in their second year…again.

* * *

Harry and Hermione awoke early the next morning, earlier than any of their dorm-mates. They had an errand they had to run before breakfast that morning, so they both quickly got ready and met each other at the portrait. Hand-in-hand, they traveled through the corridors of Hogwarts before arriving at the gargoyle statue that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

"Sugar Quills," Harry said and the statue began to move, revealing the stairs to Dumbledore's office. As they reached the door at the top of the stairs, Harry dropped Hermione's hand and clutched the package he had brought with him tightly. He then gently knocked on the door.

"Come in, my boy." Harry heard from the other side of the door. He opened it to reveal Dumbledore sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork before him.

"Ah, Harry, Miss Granger. To what do I owe this unexpected, and if I may say so, early visit?" the Headmaster asked.

"Well, Grandpa," Harry began with a smile, "we've come to deliver an item of particular importance to you. I know that you have had your suspicions for years, but we have stumbled across one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

Dumbledore's head shot up, his eyes large with astonishment. "Harry, you mean to tell me that Tom did make Horcruxes? And that in that parcel you have one? Please, Harry, pass it over. Carefully now."

Harry did as he was asked. Dumbledore gingerly unwrapped the package to reveal the diary that Hermione had managed to swipe from Ginny's cauldron a few weeks earlier.

"Professor, this is Tom Riddle's diary that he wrote in during his time here at Hogwarts," Hermione explained. "He made it into a Horcrux and had one of his followers place it amongst the belongings of a student a few weeks ago in the hope that it would possess her. The goal was to get her to open the Chamber of Secrets and let loose the monster within."

Dumbledore eyed Hermione carefully. "Miss Granger, you seem…different today. May I ask where this change came from or how you know all of this?" he asked slowly.

"I can answer that, Grandpa." Harry had been reminded to only use that form of address when the two were in an informal setting. Otherwise traditional rules of address still applied. "You see, this is _my _Hermione. The one that saved me. She was sent back last night to help me set things straight."

"I see. Well then, welcome back, Miss Granger. Now Harry, what are we to do with this diary? I am unfamiliar with many ways to destroy them, and most of the ways that I know of would involve very dark magic."

"Well, we could always use the way I destroyed it the first time around," Harry suggested. "But in order to do that we would need to open the Chamber of Secrets and go down there. The first time I went down there, I defeated a Basilisk and used one of its fangs to destroy the diary. That should work again."

Dumbledore seemed to ponder this for a long moment.

"That could work, Harry. But I am apprehensive about sending you down there to face a Basilisk. I believe that I would be the better choice for the task."

"Sir," Harry began, immediately adopting a more formal tone, "you forget that I have already slain a Basilisk in my second year. My abilities and skills now far exceed what I was capable then. Besides, we shall simply use one of Hagrid's roosters to kill the snake before it can do any real damage."

"We, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes, sir. _We_ meaning Harry and I," Hermione interjected. "Harry killed the Basilisk before and he can do it again. And I was petrified by it for months, so I want my chance as well. Besides, we have power beyond what we appear."

"Very well," Dumbledore said in a resigned fashion. "But I trust you will make careful plans before you run recklessly into the chamber? I also hope that you will inform me of your plans before you go, in case my assistance is needed."

"Of course, sir," Hermione answered. She and Harry turned to leave the office, but Harry stopped and turned back around.

"One last thing, Grandpa. I've always been curious; why did you hire Lockhart to teach Defense? He's completely incompetent. He once removed the bones from my arm while attempting to heal it."

"Ah, you see Harry, he was not my first choice. Nor was he one of my choices at all. Suffice it to say that various members of the Board of Governors have read of his, shall we say, exploits, and thought that he would be the perfect Professor. I had no say in the matter." Suddenly Dumbledore's eyes lit up with inspiration. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if the two of you took Professor Lockhart down to the Chamber with you. I believe that his…expertise will prove useful? I dare say he would jump at the opportunity to be in the Prophet the next day."

"You're probably right," Harry responded. "We'll ask him first. I just hope that nothing terrible happens to him down in the Chamber though," Harry added with a smile. Seeing that the conversation was finished, Harry took Hermione's hand and led her out of the office towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

* * *

Harry and Hermione stepped into Defense Against the Dark Arts with the second-year Slytherins later that day for their first class under the renowned Gilderoy Lockhart. The secret couple took a seat near their friend, Draco and waited for the class to begin.

"Hey Harry, hey Hermione," Draco greeted.

"Hi Draco," Harry answered.

"Malfoy," Hermione responded with a curt nod. Harry shot her a warning glance that immediately struck home.

"Did I do something wrong?" Draco asked, perplexed by Hermione's sudden coolness to him.

Harry spoke for Hermione in this case, wanting to keep the two of them apart until they had had time to address the issue in private. Hermione was still not used to being friends with Draco. While she had all of her memories from the past year, older Hermione was dominant in her mind, making her remember all of Malfoy's transgressions over the years.

"She's just not feeling like herself today. We'll talk about it later, okay?" Draco just nodded as the door from the Professor's office opened and Lockhart entered, dressed in a flashy green set of robes that looked as though they were covered in sequins.

"Good afternoon class. I trust you all can see me perfectly? Good," he said, flashing his smile at his trapped audience. "You are in for a special treat this year. The Board of Governors and Headmaster Dumbledore thought it prudent to correct your…inadequate Defense education from last year. So naturally their minds immediately came to rest on me, Gilderoy Lockhart, your humble new Professor. Now before we begin, how many of you have begun to read your textbooks for the year?"

Roughly half of the girls in the class raised their hands excitedly, but none of the boys did. Hermione was one of the girls who did not raise her hand, which surprised most of the other students, including Harry. But he had a good idea why she hadn't read the books yet.

"Excellent! We'll start off with a short quiz so that I can find out what you already know. This test will not count for your grade, but please do your best, just as I would." He began to pass out the pieces of parchment manually, instead of simply waving his wand like other professors did. This did not go unnoticed by Harry or Hermione. When they received their tests, the two exchanged a look and smiled at each other. Last time, Hermione had done her best and gotten a perfect score on the quiz. This time would be different.

"You have thirty minutes, beginning…now," Lockhart announced, as the class began to scribble furiously.

Harry and Hermione took the opportunity to flex their creative muscle with their answers. Harry had the most fun with his answers:

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

Black, just like his heart

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

To grow his own set of hair and not have to wear a toupee

_What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

Getting the public to eat out of his hand without actually doing anything

_When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?_

Wait, he wasn't spawned from a puddle of ooze? His ideal gift would be another vat of sequins for his robes

_How many times has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekley's Most Charming Smile Award?_

Who cares?

The test went on like this for several dozen more questions. Harry almost ran out of material trying to come up with his answers, but as he looked over at Hermione's parchment, she was still going strong. Finally, Lockhart announced that time was up and collected everyone's test. Harry and Hermione's tests ended up at the bottom of the stack. He then took the pile to the front of the room and began to sift through the quizzes. When he reached the end, Lockhart looked up in alarm before regaining his composure.

"Dear, dear. It looks like someone hasn't read their books yet. For everyone's information, the title of my autobiography is _Magical Me_ not _Moronic Me_." Hermione snorted at this. Obviously, that was one of her answers.

"Ah well, now I know where to begin our lessons…" Lockhart began. He eventually ended up releasing the Cornish Pixies as he did the first time around, and the event transpired exactly as before, with Hermione freezing them in place. The class ended early and the students retreated to their dorms. All students except for Harry, Hermione, and Draco. Harry led the other two into a classroom that was not in use near the Defense classroom and closed the door and set up a silencing charm.

"So are you going to tell me what I did wrong?" Draco asked, somewhat irritated at Hermione.

"Draco, once again, you didn't do anything wrong. Remember yesterday on the train when I told you how my mind was sent back in time to my younger body?" Draco nodded apprehensively. "Well, last night the same thing happened to Hermione. She still has the memories of our friendship from the last year, but she mainly has her twenty year old mind."

Hermione interjected at this point. "Malfoy-I mean, Draco, most of my memories of you are negative. You were a great prat during my first time through Hogwarts. Most of the other students thought that you were a Death Eater in training all along. You were Harry's and my worst enemy here at school. Now I know that things are different, but it will take me some time to get used to this change. Please bear with me for a while I adjust, okay?"

"That's okay, Hermione. Just for the record, I'll never be a Death Eater. The things my father brags about at home are downright disgusting, and I will never be a part of it. Father preaches that Malfoys are superior to other wizarding families, but yet he bows at the feet of another. He is nothing but a big hypocrite."

With the bond of their friendship repaired, or in the process of being repaired, the trio split along house lines and returned to their respective dormitories. Harry and Hermione sat in the common room studying the material from their first day, even though they could both take their final exams and ace them easily, until the other students retired. Harry then escorted Hermione to the girls stairs and gave her a kiss goodnight before climbing the stairs to the boys dorm.

* * *

The next several weeks passed quickly for the Duo. They had asked Professor Lockhart to accompany them on an expedition to find the Chamber of Secrets, and the phony teacher had accepted immediately, knowing that if he were to 'discover' the Chamber of Secrets, it would make for an excellent book. Harry and Hermione informed Dumbledore of their plan to go down to the Chamber on the last Saturday before Halloween, which happened to be a Hogsmeade weekend, so most of the student population would be gone from the school. Dumbledore had agreed with their plan but warned them one last time to be careful, and not to let anything happen to Professor Lockhart. That last part was added with a touch of sarcasm.

Prior to going to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Harry and Hermione paid a visit to Hagrid's hut and snuck one of his pet roosters away. They put a silencing charm on the bird so as not to attract too much attention, then met up with Lockhart outside of his office.

Harry produced a piece of parchment from his robe. "Professor, before we go, could I get your autograph on this piece of parchment? If we discover the Chamber today, it will be much harder to get your autograph as you'll be much more famous." Harry was employing the same trick he had used to get passes into the Restricted Section his first time around-not telling the Professor what he was really signing.

"Of course, young Harry. But you don't have to worry about getting my autograph. I'll always be available for you. After all, heroes like us have to stick together, right?" He then signed the parchment without even giving it a glance. Harry placed it back in his robe.

The three then made their way to Myrtle's bathroom, where Harry commanded the sink to open in Parseltongue. Harry pushed Lockhart down the newly opened passage, and the two students heard a painful shout as he landed. Hermione followed next and landed gracefully on her feet next to the prone Lockhart, and Harry was not far behind. When he arrived, he saw that Lockhart had landed on his leg, and it was badly broken.

Not wanting to leave their professor behind, Harry and Hermione helped Lockhart passed the skin of a giant snake, and to the next door, which Harry also commanded to open. They were finally in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry helped carry Lockhart to the base of the statue of Slytherin, while Hermione held onto the rooster. Harry strategically placed Lockhart facing away from the opening from which the Basilisk would emerge and placed a silencing charm on him, then returned to his girlfriend. Hermione released the rooster from its cage and she turned away to face the wall opposite the opening. Harry then called forth the Basilisk in Parseltongue before hiding his eyes with Hermione.

Soon they could hear the slithering of the giant snake as it slid from its ages old prison. The Basilisk began to look around for the person who had awoken it from its slumber. Harry quickly cancelled the silencing charm on the rooster, which instantly began to crow. An ear-splitting screech pierced the air of the Chamber as the Basilisk died, collapsing with a thud near the hole from which it emerged. Harry cautiously opened his eyes and looked at the snake. Certain that he was still alive, he approached their fallen adversary to inspect its carcass.

Hermione joined him by his side and recaptured the frightened rooster. She then transfigured a piece of rubble into a dragonhide pouch to hold one of the dead creature's fangs. Harry carefully removed it, being careful to not touch the venom itself, and placed the tooth in the bag, closing it securely.

Satisfied that their task was complete, Harry and Hermione stole a glance at the spot where Harry had placed Lockhart. They both chuckled to see that he was petrified, having seen the gaze of the Basilisk through the reflection of the pool of water at the base of the statue. Harry cast a levitating charm at the still figure of their professor and carried him back to their entry point.

Harry muttered "stairs" in Parseltongue and a series of stairs appeared allowing the group to exit through the same entry they had originally used. They carried Lockhart to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey informed them that she had no potion to restore the professor, and that she wouldn't for several months. Harry and Hermione remarked that that was a real shame, but quickly left and ventured towards the Headmaster's office.

As soon as they entered, Harry threw the bag with the fang in it down on Dumbledore's desk. "It's done," he said simply.

"How did things go, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, very interested.

"Actually, quite well sir. We managed to kill two birds with one stone as well. I would say three, but one of those birds was actually a Basilisk."

"Harry, that was a terrible joke," Hermione admonished, seeing Harry's sheepish grin.

Dumbledore chuckled. "It's quite alright, Harry. We all tell bad jokes now and again. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I can't promise that, Grandpa," Harry answered honestly.

"Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I trust this is the Basilisk fang you spoke about?"

"Yeah, all we have to do is stab the diary with it several times and that should do the trick," Harry said.

"And what of Professor Lockhart, Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Petrified, sir," Hermione said, speaking for Harry. "He was unfortunate enough to indirectly make eye contact with the Basilisk, and was immediately petrified. Fortunately, before we left, he signed one last document. I believe he thought that if anything were to happen to him, this would need to go public."

Harry handed Dumbledore the parchment that Lockhart had signed earlier. The Headmaster looked it over before taking on a faux stern look. "I see. I will make sure this gets out as soon as possible. Now then, back to the Horcrux."

A half hour later all that remained of the diary was a charred shell. After stabbing the book several times, a horrific scream began to emerge from the diary, and it burst into flames. When the screaming died down, the three in the office knew that their task was done. Dumbledore promised to dispose of the remainder of the diary as soon as he had checked it over for residual dark magic, and bid the two students good day.

* * *

**Lockhart Admits to Stealing Glory from Others!**

_By Rita Skeeter, Staff Reporter_

_In an unexpected move, renowned wizard and current Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has admitted that he did not accomplish any of the tasks he claimed in his works. In a signed confession, Mr. Lockhart announced that he would learn of the accomplishments of others and learn the entire story before erasing their memory. He would then claim the stories as his own. When asked for further comment, this reporter was told that Mr. Lockhart was currently recovering in St. Mungo's Hospital from a recent petrification incident…_

When Harry and Hermione walked into the Great Hall the next morning, it appeared as though every student in the room was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, reading the headline story. After a few minutes of speculation about the story, Headmaster Dumbledore rose to speak.

"As many of you are aware, Professor Lockhart has recently admitted to being less than truthful about his accomplishments. In light of these recent events, the Board of Governors has decided to suspend his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. For the remainder of the year, the class will be taught by a new Professor. Let's all give a warm welcome to Professor Remus Lupin, who has been kind enough to join us on such short notice."

The Hall erupted in applause, but the loudest of it came from Harry and Hermione. They had succeeded in getting their best DADA professor ever to the school almost a year early, and for that, they were proud of themselves.

The rest of the year passed by in a flash. With no mystery hanging over their heads, Harry and Hermione were free to actually enjoy nearly a full year of uneventful schooling at Hogwarts. Professor Lupin's classes were just as good as they remembered, favoring practical application over theory. As a result of this as well as their great knowledge, Harry and Hermione were once again at the top of their class. The only problem either of them had run into was the incessant fan girl personality of Ginny Weasley. No matter where Harry went in the halls between classes, she was always there, trying to get a piece of the Boy-Who-Lived. As annoying as it was, Harry and Hermione agreed that if this was as bad as she got, they would be just fine with it.

Eventually, Professor Lupin began to notice the inherent skills of Harry and Hermione. One day, during class, he confronted them about it.

"Harry, Hermione, can you stay after class for a while?" he asked. Both exchanged a confused look before nodding.

After the class had been dismissed, the pair followed Lupin into his office, where he sat down behind his desk, motioning for the students to also take a seat.

Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I have noticed that you both have skills in this class that far exceed those of your peers. But what I have seen is not just pure skill, but a demonstration of knowledge far beyond that of your year. Would you care to explain?"

Harry spoke first. "Professor, perhaps I should begin my explanation with a statement: I know about your furry little problem Uncle Moony."

Lupin almost fell over in his chair. He hadn't been called Moony in over a decade, since James and Lily had died and Sirius was sent to Azkaban.

"Harry, how do you know about that?" Lupin asked in a dangerous tone.

"What I am going to tell you must remain in this room, is that understood?"

"Harry, I have kept many secrets in my life, including a number of your father's, so I think I can be trusted on this matter."

Harry nodded, knowing how trustworthy the Marauder was. "You see, Uncle Moony, my mind was sent back in time after I died several years from now…" Harry went on to tell the whole story again. He really was getting tired of this particular tale. Perhaps in the future he should just record himself telling it so that he could play it for everyone.

In the end, Lupin believed what Harry said, but not before Harry showed him his Patronus as proof that Lupin had taught it to him the following year. Harry and Hermione had gained another ally in the fight, and this time they were not going to let him leave their side during school due to discrimination. He would stay in his position at Hogwarts.

All too quickly the end of their second year at Hogwarts came to a close, and once again Harry and Hermione found themselves bound for home aboard the Hogwarts Express. Harry figured that he had accomplished a number of things this year, from getting his best friend back to saving an innocent girl from being possessed. However, as he looked forward, he realized that the greatest changes were yet to come, and that the future would be much more challenging than the last two years had been.

A/N: You may think that I am taking things rather quickly. That much is true. However, there is a reason behind this. I want to lay a foundation for what will happen later. The ideas that I have for later portions of the story are more involved and will be more interesting. For now I am just skimming through some of the less important events while focusing on things that have really changed or are more interesting. Things will change eventually, I promise.


	11. There and Back Again

Author's Note: Thanks to all of the reviews you've sent in for chapter 10. I thought I would respond to some of them:

LadySavay: I like to have a smattering of canon throughout the story to give it a firm foundation. That said, they will go back for the Diadem eventually. Regarding the Basilisk skin…we'll see. Not everything has to happen all at once.

Arkenstone: Harry and Hermione are going to try their best so that neither parent wins at all. But if you remember, the bets said "by the end of" not "at the end of."

LadyCalus: Soon…very soon.

Robert-19588: THANK YOU! I will freely admit that I made a mistake. I originally planned to free Dobby in chapter 10. But as I wrote, the story kind of took on a life of its own and that got lost in the shuffle. I didn't plan on bringing Hermione back _at all_, so that threw everything on its head. I'm going to try to fit it into this chapter.

In this chapter, I wanted to deal with one of the most glaring issues I have had with my writing so far. I made Draco a member of the Trio, but I haven't really developed the character or involved him in anything. I wanted to change that in this chapter, so a lot of it will deal with situations involving Draco. Beyond that, thank you for all of the positive comments! They give me an incentive to keep writing. Please keep reviewing, and PM me with suggestions or errors. Again, I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 10

There and Back Again

As the Hogwarts Express steamed towards London, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy sat in comfortable silence watching the countryside pass by. Without an explanation to the others, Harry pulled out a piece of parchment from his supplies along with a quill and began to write. Several minutes later, he put the finishing touches on whatever he was writing and sealed it. Standing up, Harry opened Hedwig's cage and handed her the letter then opened the window of their compartment. Hedwig took to the sky, the mysterious letter clutched in her talons.

Harry sat back down and mouthed to Hermione _"I'll explain later." _He then decided to break the silence.

"Draco, how do you feel about how your father treats Dobby?" he asked.

"What? How do you know about Dobby?"

"Honestly, Draco. How many times do you have to forget that we know a lot more than you give us credit for? Now would you please answer the question?" Hermione interjected in an irritated tone. Harry then got worried. He had breached the issue of house-elves and their treatment. Hermione was bound to get irritated.

"Well, I can't say he treats him _well_. In fact, he doesn't at all. But he's just a house-elf."

"Just a house-elf? JUST A HOUSE ELF!" Hermione practically screamed, her anger getting the better of her. Harry began to panic. The last thing he wanted was an angry Hermione-her temper was legendary.

"Hermione, calm down and let Draco continue. Please?"

Hermione's face returned to it's original color slowly, which was a signal to Draco that his life was no longer in danger.

"Draco," Harry began, "what would happen if we freed Dobby from your father?"

Draco's eyes went wide. "You'd be signing my death certificate. No matter what it would be traced back to me, as I'm your friend."

"Hmmm…" Harry thought. Finally his eyes snapped up. "Dobby," he called, and in an instant, the house-elf was standing before him.

"The great Harry Potter has called for Dobby?" he asked. Harry nodded.

"Dobby, you said last summer that only a member of the Malfoy family could set you free, right?"

"Harry Potter is correct sir. Only masters may set house-elves free."

Harry pulled out a familiar charred diary. He was lucky that he asked Dumbledore if he could keep it after the Headmaster was done checking it over for residual dark magic. Instantly, his mind wandered back to the last time he pulled this trick. He hoped it would work again. Harry stood up and pulled a mismatched sock out of his trunk and slid it into the diary, hoping that Dobby hadn't noticed. He hadn't.

"Dobby, are you able to deliver this book to your master, Lucius, compliments of Harry Potter?"

"Dobby can!" he exclaimed.

"Good," Harry said. "If he hands it back to you after you give it to him, can you do me a favor and open it?" Harry asked in a pleading voice.

Dobby appeared to think this over for a minute before answering. "Dobby can do that. But why does Harry Potter need Dobby to open a boo-stupid Dobby! Dobby is sorry Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will iron his hands for questioning the great Harry Potter."

"Dobby, you will do no such thing, is that understood? Now please take the book to Master Lucius." Harry handed Dobby the diary and with a pop he was gone. Harry relaxed back into his seat and saw the small smile that Hermione was giving him, as well as the puzzled look from Draco. As Harry began to explain what he had just done, none of them heard the ear-splitting howl of anger that erupted miles away from Malfoy Manor.

**Azkaban Prison**

In a dark, dank cell on the top floor of the most secure prison in the magical world, an emaciated man waited. Imprisoned for the murder of his best friends without questioning or a trial, he waited to die. There was really no point anymore. Nobody was coming for him, there would never be a trial. A quick glance at his makeshift calendar on the wall showed that he had been there for twelve years. Twelve years without a visitor, twelve years of no contact with humans. The only company he kept was the soulless guards of the prison, the Dementors. All of this because he had been careless. He had been careless enough to shout his anger in the streets, and that was all the evidence that was needed to convict him. But Sirius Black was innocent.

Suddenly, a snowy white owl appeared at the door to his cell. Reaching through the bars, Sirius grasped the letter from the owls clutches and silently thanked the bird with a nod. With a trembling hand, he opened he letter, fully expecting it to be a notice of his impending execution. What he saw surprised him.

_Dear Sirius Black,_

_I am writing to inform you that your pet rat is alive and well. However, due to an accident, he is currently missing a finger. He has been remanded to the excellent care of the Weasley family, with whom he has stayed during your incarceration. However, while I am sure he is enjoying his new life, I believe that you would love to see him again._

_Your grim old place is still the same as it ever was. But you really should see it. Kreacher has done some work to it, and it is darker than ever. Too bad you can't see it in its current state. My friends and I will most likely visit there to check up on it again this summer, most likely around July 1. Mr. Moony and I are sincerely hoping that our friend Mr. Padfoot will join us there, but we haven't heard from him yet._

_As soon as you finish this letter, it will combust to destroy itself._

_Sincerely,_

_Mr. Prongslet_

Sirius gasped as he finished the letter, and promptly dropped it to the ground where it was engulfed in flames. Wormtail was still alive, and he knew exactly where to find him. What's more, Harry was still alive. That much was certain, as there was only one person on Earth who had the right to sign a letter as Prongslet: the son of Prongs. And Moony. Remus was still alive too. They would be waiting for him at Grimmauld Place. Harry had even told him the best way to escape. He would have to bide his time for the right moment to escape, but when it came, he would finally leave this hellhole. He knew that Dementors could not see-only sense a person and their fear. Animagus forms though, did not allow emotion to be detected by a Dementor. Yes, that would be how he would do it…

The Hogwarts Express slowly chugged into the station at platform 9 ¾. The students began to disembark as usual, and the Trio left the train to find their waiting family. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Draco approach his father, who quickly backhanded him across the face. Harry couldn't make out what was being said, so he slowly approached the pair.

"You worthless excuse for a Malfoy! How DARE you allow that filthy halfblood to steal our house-elf?" Lucius screamed. He then kicked Draco on the ground before lifting him up by the nape of his neck. "We are leaving now. We'll deal with this more when we get home."

Draco saw Harry approach and steeled his gaze. "No," he said simply. Lucius wheeled around, fury burning in his eyes.

"Excuse me? Since when do you back talk to your father like that?" Lucius made a move to grab Draco but suddenly found himself flying backwards into the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. Draco spun to see a whirlwind swirling around Harry that quickly dissipated. He hadn't even touched his wand.

"Draco, you're not going back there. Not if I have anything to say about it. Come on." Harry grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him towards the three waiting Grangers, who had just witnessed the entire episode.

"Dan, Emma, this is Draco Malfoy. He's our best friend. As you can see, he needs a place to stay for a while. I was hoping that it would be alright…"

Emma cut Harry off. "Of course it is, Harry. We won't stand for that kind of treatment, so anything we can do to stop it will be our pleasure. Good thing we have two guest rooms, isn't it?" Harry performed a shrinking charm on the luggage so that it would all fit into the car, and the three children piled into the back seat for the long drive home, Draco with a nervous look on his face.

"Draco, I know that your father has been beating you. What we saw today only confirmed it. We're going to do everything in our power to keep you away from him, okay?" Harry said, trying to gain Draco's confidence. The latter was still in shock, and didn't know what to make of the situation he was currently in.

"He'll come after me, you know. He won't stop until he gets me back," Draco objected.

"Then we'll just have to hide you somewhere where he can't find you. The muggle world."

Draco's head snapped up. He began to panic. "That's even worse! There's no magic in the muggle world! How do you expect to protect me _from_ magic in a place where there isn't any?"

Harry chuckled lightly. "We'll just have to use magic to protect you. Your father would expect you to go with me, and he wouldn't expect me to go to the muggle world. If he digs deep enough into wizarding records, he will find that I am no longer a ward of my muggle relatives, the Dursleys. He would have to dig into muggle records to find that I am now under the care of the Grangers. Your father will think that I've been emancipated, and am currently hiding somewhere in the wizarding world. He is too afraid of muggles to even begin to look in their world. And even if he does, we have a few tricks up our sleeve."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Hermione asked, her parents also interested. Dan had craned his neck so far to hear that he was beginning to drift into the oncoming lane. He quickly corrected himself and went back to eavesdropping.

"We could put your house under the Fidelius Charm, Hermione. Dan, Emma, do you have any family or friends that visit regularly?"

Emma answered. "Not really. Any friends we have we usually meet at their house or in a public place such as a restaurant. As for family, well I was an only child and Dan's family lives several hours away. My parents are also a good distance away and don't come to visit us. We always visit them."

"Good," Harry said. "I'd like permission to hide your house. Magically I mean. If it would be alright, we would put a spell on the house that made it so that only select people could see it or find it. That way, even if Draco's father came into the muggle world looking for him, he wouldn't be able to find your house where he was staying."

"Harry," Hermione began, "the Fidelius is very complicated magic that even we can't do."

"Didn't you take Ancient Runes and cover wards and other protective magic like that, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well, yes, but I'm nowhere near qualified to erect a charm that powerful."

"Hermione," her mother interrupted, "don't I remember you writing that you wanted to take that class _next_ year?"

_Damn,_ Harry thought, _she's good. I can't believe I slipped up like that._ "Erm…Hermione has been…studying ahead just to prepare for next year's classes. You know how she is about reading ahead," Harry said nervously. "Either way, I think we should just ask Grandpa to perform the charm."

Dan spoke next. "We'll have to talk this over, Harry, as that is a big step. But right now, I don't think that sounds like a problem. Emma and I will get back to you on this."

"Sounds great. Draco, the next thing we will have to do is go shopping for some clothes for you. Dressed as you are, you'll stand out like a sore thumb in muggle London, and for someone who is hiding out, that is the last thing you want."

Draco nodded uncertainly. "Don't worry, Draco. We'll take time to acclimate you to the muggle world as well. We'll teach you what you need to know when we go out, and I think that tomorrow would be the perfect day for that, don't you, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Good idea, Harry. Where better to hide a pureblood wizard than in a world where no pureblood would dare to tread?" she responded.

Soon the group arrived at the spacious Granger residence and began to unpack the car. Hermione ran upstairs to her room to see it again, as her older self had not been back to this house in several years. Even though she still had her younger memories, her older mind was still in control and was dominant.

Meanwhile, Harry took his belongings and showed Draco to his room. Draco would have the other guest room, which was right next door to Harry's and across the hall from Hermione's.

"The loo is the last door on the left down there," Harry said, pointing down the hall, "and my room is right next door here. If you need anything, knock. I'll be back in a few minutes after I finish unpacking."

Draco set his trunk down on the Queen sized bed and looked around the room. It was about twenty feet square, with vaulted ceilings and a large arched window and window seat. There was also a walk-in closet that was large enough to store all of Draco's clothes, even the ones he had left back at Malfoy Manor. He quickly unpacked and waited on the edge of the bed for Harry to return. When he did so, it was with Hermione in tow. The entered the room and closed the door.

"Draco," Hermione began, "my parents don't know about us being from the future. I think they may be starting to suspect something is up, but until we give the go ahead, please don't tell them, alright?"

"Fine by me," Draco answered. "Thanks again for taking me in for a while. It really means a lot to me."

"No problem," Hermione replied. "But you'd be better off thanking my parents instead of me. It was their decision in the end."

The Trio left the room and went downstairs to the living room. Harry opened a decorative jar that sat on the mantle and grabbed some powder from it. He threw it in the fireplace and stuck his head in. "Albus Dumbledore!" he cried, and he immediately saw into the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore looked up from his desk to see Harry's face in his fireplace. "Ah, Harry. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Do you have time to step on over to the Granger's house for a short time, Grandpa?"

"Just give me a moment, Harry, to get my things in order and I will be right over."

Harry pulled his head from the fireplace and sat down on the couch with the other two students. A few moments later there was a commotion as the Granger's small fireplace magically enlarged and Albus Dumbledore strode out of the green flames. Dan and Emma entered the room from the kitchen after hearing the noise.

"Harry, Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted. He then turned his attention to Draco. "And Mister Malfoy, what, may I ask, are you doing here? I got an urgent floo call from your father a short time ago saying that you had run off. I knew that that wasn't like you, but I didn't know where to start looking. It seems I have been spared the trouble of tracking you down."

"Sir, Draco was in danger. I know I should be sensitive about this, but I'm just going to throw it out there," Hermione began. "Draco was beaten by his father on the platform after Harry freed the Malfoy's house-elf. We also have reason to believe that this isn't the first time it has happened, either."

"I see. Mister Malfoy, is this true?" Dumbledore asked gravely. Draco nodded sheepishly, his head hung low in shame.

"Mister Malfoy, look at me," Dumbledore commanded softly. "Abuse is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something to be reviled and corrected. It is not your fault that your father beat you, so don't take it out on yourself. Count yourself lucky that you have friends who care enough about you to do something about it. The question is now, what are we going to do?"

"Grandpa, I was thinking that Draco could stay here and we could put this house under the Fidelius Charm. That way his father wouldn't be able to find him."

"An excellent idea, Harry. But such a decision ultimately lies with the owners of the house. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, what are your feelings on the matter?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Dan and I were just talking it over in the kitchen," Emma replied. "We decided that, given what we saw on the platform, we wanted to do anything in our power to prevent it from happening again. That sort of behavior towards children is unacceptable."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "I will make the preparations. Do you know who you want to be the Secret Keeper?"

"I think Draco would be best," Hermione suggested. "Nobody would suspect him as the Keeper for my parent's house. Therefore, he is the logical choice."

"Excellent choice, Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled. "I will return in a few days after I have prepared. I will Floo ahead to let you know I am coming. If there is nothing else?" he asked before returning to the fireplace and Flooing back to Hogwarts.

Later that night, when he and Hermione were alone, Harry decided to confront her. "Hermione, you know that you are putting a lot of trust in Draco, making him the Secret Keeper for the house."

"I know, but I figure that more than anything, it is his secret he is keeping, not ours. If he lets it slip, he is only endangering himself. It's his chance to really shine."

Satisfied, Harry and Hermione parted ways and went to their respective rooms. Harry was excited that tomorrow, they would be going shopping in the muggle world, but at the same time he was nervous about what he had gotten himself into by inviting Draco to live with them.

The next day dawned brightly. The sun shone through the closed blinds in Harry's room, and the rays woke him from his slumber. He had slept soundly and awoke full of energy for the new day. Harry quickly showered and got dressed before heading downstairs to find that he was the last one up. Breakfast was laid out on the table, comprised of eggs, bacon, toast, and other various breakfast necessities.

As it was a Saturday, Dan and Emma had closed their dental practice and had taken the day off to spend with the children. "So where are we going today?" Dan asked casually from behind his newspaper.

"Well, I was thinking we could just head to a mall and get all of our shopping done in one place," Hermione advocated.

"Good idea, Hermione," Dan responded. "We do have that one not fifteen minutes from here, we can leave right after breakfast."

The meal passed by uneventfully, but Harry and Hermione both noticed that as the end of the meal grew near, Draco began to grow more and more nervous. Obviously he had reservations about going out in the muggle world.

"Draco, don't worry," Emma said. Obviously she had noticed too. It hadn't taken too long to notice that Draco was comfortable in the magical world and had no idea about the machinations of the non-magical world. "Just follow our lead and do what we do. Everything will go fine, we promise."

Draco swallowed and accepted that. All too soon, it was time to leave. As Draco did not have access to any muggle clothing, Harry allowed him to wear some of his for the day. Also, as he was not able to access his family vault, Harry said that he would pay for the purchases in the end, but Dan would charge anything they bought to his credit card. Right now it was too dangerous to take Draco to Diagon Alley, but the next time they did so, Harry would dip into his considerable fortune to pay for the expenses.

The group piled into the car as they had done the day before, and made the short trip to the mall. As it was a Saturday during the summer, it was difficult to find a parking space, but after several loops around the lot, Dan found one in the farthest corner.

They entered on the first floor, but soon found that the clothing stores they wanted to visit were on the second level. Luckily, Draco was right at home on an escalator, as the moving stairs were quite similar to the ones at Hogwarts. He just had to get used to the concept of standing still while the stairs did the work.

One thing that Draco did not adjust very well to was trying on various clothes. He was used to being magically measured and then being handed clothes that fit perfectly. Here, he had to try different sizes and styles to find the best match. Dan and Harry felt his pain. As guys, they were naturally averse to clothes shopping and the constant trying of clothes. Eventually, after more than three hours, they settled on more than a dozen t-shirts, three pairs of jeans, three pairs of shorts, a pair of swim trunks, a various assortment of underwear and socks, and two pairs of trainers. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw the total appear on the register, but the three males in the group just shrugged it off. Dan, because he wasn't paying in the end, Draco because he had been used to seeing large sums of money, and Harry because it was just a drop in the bucket compared to what he had at his disposal.

After leaving the store, the five shoppers moved to a secluded part of the mall and Harry performed a discreet shrinking charm on their purchases before putting them in Emma's purse. The group then made their way to a food court, where Draco was introduced to the joys of fast food. Well, it wasn't quite as fast as a house-elf, but he got the idea. They decided on trying the small McDonalds that was there, but it took several times before the other four had explained what a hamburger was and why it was good. In the end, Draco decided on a simple Big Mac, and everyone else placed their order as well. All enjoyed their meal.

Now that they were fed, it was time to take Draco in for a haircut. Harry and Hermione, along with Draco, had decided that he needed a slight change in appearance to blend in better. But the latter refused to color his hair or do anything drastic that would compromise his "charming good looks," as he put it. Finally they settled on a simple haircut. They browsed through various styles before settling on a style that was about an inch long instead of the ear-length look that he was currently sporting. A half hour and several Pounds later, Draco walked out of the barber with a new look. Dressed in muggle clothing and with a shorter hairstyle, he looked _almost _like a different person. While it would now take a double-take for anyone to recognize him, Draco still looked like himself, which was what he was wanting.

The group wrapped up the shopping trip and returned home, with much energy and money spent after a day of shopping. But everyone was happy with what they had accomplished, even Draco who, even though he was still far from comfortable outside the magical world, was beginning to grow to like the home he was staying in, even though he had only been there for one day.

A few days later, Professor Dumbledore returned to perform the Fidelius Charm on the Granger home. He had made sure to choose a time when the elder Grangers were home, as it could cause a lot of confusion if they were away from home and suddenly forgot where they lived. Everyone except Draco and Dumbledore walked outside the house onto the sidewalk and waited. Several minutes later, the house in front of them suddenly disappeared. A moment later, Draco and Dumbledore appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. Draco handed out four pieces of paper containing the address for the Granger residence. As the papers were read and the address committed to memory, the house magically appeared before them.

"You can now access and see your house whenever you want. Only those who have explicitly been told the address by the Secret Keeper can see the house," Dumbledore explained. "Also, when a house is under the Fidelius, the Floo system is modified. Again, only those given the address by the Secret Keeper can Floo into the house. Otherwise they are expelled from their fireplace where they started."

After a brief conversation about various other protections that could be placed on the house, Dumbledore left and returned to his office at Hogwarts. The Granger household was now all but invisible to the magical world, so they would be safe for the rest of the summer. For Harry, the only thing now standing between him and his perfect summer was his Godfather, who was still rotting away in Azkaban. Or so he thought…

**Azkaban Prison**

A Dementor floated by the cells of inmates, stopping for a few moments at each one to savor the taste of their negative emotions. It would briefly open each cell door and slip inside to feast on the fear of the prisoners before moving on to its next victim. Soon, it reached a familiar cell and opened the door. Inside, it felt nothing. No presence, no anything. Confused as to why the cell was locked in the first place, the Dementor left the cell for the next one, leaving the door open.

In the corner of the empty cell lay a large, shaggy dog, curled into a ball. Seeing that the Dementor was gone, Padfoot crept out of the cell and through the halls of Azkaban. If he was caught, he would be kissed for sure. After what seemed like hours of creeping around and trying not to be noticed by other prisoners, Padfoot arrived at the front gates. He had had a few close calls, be they from guards coming at inopportune times, or prisoners who nearly spotted him. But now he found himself at the edge of the prison, closer to freedom than he had been in over a decade.

Padfoot dove into the ocean surrounding the island and swam. He swam for all he was worth, for he now had something worth living for: a godson who knew about him. This hope drove him, and with every paddle he drew closer to shore. Many hours and many dreams about spending time with his godson later, Padfoot lay exhausted on the shore of mainland Britain. He dragged himself into a grove of trees and found a suitable hiding spot before he curled up and fell into a deep, restful sleep.

Harry Potter finished up his letter and attached it to Hedwig's leg. "Give this to Remus, girl," he requested, and Hedwig flew out the window to find the intended recipient. Harry sat back down on the couch in the Granger's living room. Two weeks had passed since their shopping trip, and the summer was proceeding well so far. But it was now June 30, and he had promised Sirius he would be at Number 12 Grimmauld Place on July 1, and he was not going to break that promise. Harry had just sent a letter to Remus Lupin asking him to meet him as well as the other four occupants of the Granger house, there at noon the next day.

Harry walked into the kitchen where Hermione and Draco were sitting, eating a small breakfast. Dan and Emma had left for work a short time before, so it was just the three friends in the house at this point. Suddenly, a brown mail owl came through the open kitchen window and deposited a copy of The Daily Prophet on the table. Harry fished out a knut and gave it to the bird, which promptly took off. Hermione grabbed the paper and opened it. She gasped as she saw the headline and began to read it aloud.

**Sirius Black Escapes from Azkaban!**

_In a surprising turn of events, renowned murderer and Death Eater Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison. Officials at the Ministry of Magic would not comment on how Black escaped, but simply reiterated that a large-scale manhunt is currently underway. Black, convicted of the murder of several muggles as well as the betrayal of James and Lily Potter to You-Know-Who, has been serving a life sentence in Azkaban…_

Harry couldn't help but grin. His plan was going exactly as he planned. Hermione was also happy at this turn of events. However, as he looked between the two, Draco was confused.

"Just how is it a good thing that Black has escaped?" he asked. "He betrayed your parents, he's the reason they're dead!"

"No he's not, Draco. He's innocent. I would have thought by now you would trust Hermione's and my judgment on these types of things. Remember, we know things you don't. Trust me, he was framed by Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew's dead though!"

"Again, wrong. Pettigrew was, or is, an illegal animagus. His animagus form is a rat, and he has been hiding out as a rat for years. More specifically, one certain rat in particular-Scabbers," Harry retorted.

"Weasley's rat? That thing's ancient! I guess that does make sense then, I mean, if Pettigrew has been hiding as their rat for years."

"But Harry, how are we going to catch Pettigrew now? The Weasleys are in Egypt, and by the time they get back it will be too late; school will be starting."

"I guess we'll just have to wait until we go back to school. That way, we'll have the backup of the teachers and Pettigrew will be all alone. We will just have to have a meeting with the twins…"

Hermione knew exactly what that meant, but Draco was lost. However, he knew better than to question his two best friends.

"Harry, why exactly did you wait until now for Black to escape? If you knew he was innocent two years ago when you came back, why wait until now? Why not help prove his innocence then?" Draco asked, almost getting angry for the sake of Sirius.

"I was told by a, erm, trusted source, that I could not predict how events were going to unfold if I took action on them too quickly. So I had to wait until now for him to escape. My first time around, Sirius escaped during the summer before our third year, so this is the right time. But as events change, I am beginning to see that I will need to change things more, so playing it safe is going to stop. I have been too careful in protecting the timeline, but if I am too careful, things will play out exactly as before, which is the last thing we want. I know it sounds like a cheap excuse, but it is the truth."

"So now that Sirius has escaped, what's the next step?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I kinda wrote him a letter on the Express ride back from school, telling him that if he could escape I would meet him at Grimmauld Place tomorrow. I told him that my friends and I would be there, so…if it isn't too much to ask, could you guys come with me tomorrow? I already owled Remus to ask him to come as well, I just hope he will."

"Of course we will, Harry," Hermione spoke for herself and Draco. "After all, we didn't have any plans for tomorrow, did we?" she asked as she elbowed Draco.

"Nope, none at all." He had gotten the hint.

"Great! I just hope that we can convince your parents to come as well," Harry said.

In the end, it was an easy task convincing the adult Grangers to come along to meet Sirius. After explaining to them that he was innocent, they were willing to go, as they were interested to meet Harry's Godfather.

The next day at noon, the Granger's BMW pulled up in front of Number 11, Grimmauld Place. All five passengers got out of the car and walked up to where Number 12 should be.

"Umm, Harry…the addresses go from Number 11 to Number 12," Dan pointed out.

Harry and Hermione, who had been given the address in their previous life, and could therefore see the house, simply smiled. Harry then pulled out three slips of paper and handed one to Dan, Emma, and Draco respectively and waited for them to read them. Instantly he saw a look of realization pass over their face as they looked up from their paper to see a new building sitting in between Numbers 11 and 12.

"This house is under the Fidelius Charm just like our house is," Hermione explained in her usual lecture voice. "You couldn't see it until you were given the address by the Secret Keeper." What Hermione had failed to mention was that Harry had been made the Secret Keeper in their first life after Remus's untimely death. That role carried over into this life as he still had the knowledge given to him when the spell was performed.

The five visitors opened the front door and entered the dark, musty house. As they entered the kitchen, they found Remus Lupin sitting at the table with a large, dirty, black dog at his feet. Harry spotted the dog and ran over to it.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed, as the dog transformed into his Godfather. Harry hugged Sirius who returned his affection warmly.

"Hello, cub. It's been a long time."

"It's great to see you again Sirius!" Harry said, still reveling in the embrace of his long lost Godfather. After a few moments, everyone sat down around the table, and Harry proceeded to introduce everyone.

"Sirius, these are my best friends Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." Sirius gagged when he heard the last name. "Don't worry, Sirius, he's on our side. Trust me. We also have Dan and Emma Granger, Hermione's parents and my legal guardians. At least, my legal guardians since I left the Dursleys." Harry sneered at that last name, making his contempt for the Dursleys obvious.

"Well, Harry, I got your letter, and I must say that I am astounded. I'm astounded at how you know that Wormtail is alive and is the rat you think he is, and how you knew that I'm innocent. It's all just too coincidental." Sirius looked at Harry with a loving, yet skeptical look in his eye.

"_Hat, I need to talk to Hermione," _Harry thought, focusing his mind on communicating with the Sorting Hat at Hogwarts. It had said that it could function as a conduit between him and Hermione if need be, as they were both Heirs. Now was the time to test it.

"_Ah, Mister Potter. You are now able to communicate with Miss Granger."_

"_Hermione, can you hear me?"_ Harry asked, testing the connection.

"_Yes, Harry. What's going on?"_

"_I asked the Sorting Hat to let me talk to you, and it looks like it worked. Anyway, I need to tell Sirius the truth, otherwise he's going to get suspicious. But your parents are in the room too. Everyone else knows what happened, but we agreed not to tell them yet. Do you want to take them into the other room, or do we want to spill the beans to them as well?"_

'_Well, they have to find our sooner or later, Harry. And it would be better if they found out on our terms, instead of discovering it on accident. I think we should tell them now and get it over with. We just need to be careful. I'm not sure how they will react when they hear that I'm not the same girl they raised for twelve years,"_ she responded. Harry then cut off the connection by asking the Hat to do so.

"That, Sirius, is a long story. A story that most of the people in this room know," with a pointed glance at Dan and Emma he continued, "but not everyone."

Harry then proceeded to tell the whole story, _again_, for the benefit of those who had not yet heard it, with the exception of Harry and Hermione's relationship and destined future together. Sirius just sat there with rapt attention on his face, greedily taking in the whole story like a kid in a candy store. Dan and Emma, meanwhile, had unreadable expressions on their faces.

When Harry had finished, he opened up the floor for questions. Naturally, Dan was the first to speak.

"Do you mean to tell me that you've misled us for the past two years?" he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it was for your own protection. In my past life, everyone I knew and cared for died because of the maniac who is after me. I figured that the less you knew about my past, the safer you would be. Hermione agreed with that assessment, both Hermiones."

Dan and Emma switched their gaze to their daughter. "And you, keeping this from your parents? If you're our Hermione from the future, where is our _real _daughter?"

Hermione sighed. She had known this would come up.

"I am your _real_ daughter Dad. Just think of it this way. I now have the memories of my twenty year old self in addition to my regular memories. The only thing that has changed is what I can remember. It's the same for Harry. We're both the same people you thought we were, but with greater knowledge. That's all," she said firmly, wanting to stop her father before he built up a head of steam.

Sirius interrupted. "So, Harry, what all have you changed in your time back?"

"Well, for starters, we made friends with Draco here instead of Ron Weasley as we did our first time around and saved him from the wrath of his father. We also stopped a potential possession of a student his past year by Voldemort and prevented a number of students from being petrified. In the end, really, we haven't changed that much yet. I've really just played it safe so far, not wanting to change things too much."

"Harry, I really think that you should branch out more. Try to change things more than you have and then play it by ear. Your knowledge of the future will only take you so far, after that, you're on your own anyway. Tell me, have you claimed your head of house position yet?"

"No not yet. Before, I didn't get it until I turned seventeen, so I thought I had to wait until then," Harry responded.

"I think your first step should be to claim that position, Harry. As Lord Potter you could do a great many things more than you have already. In all actuality, you don't have to be seventeen to claim the position. Yes, you must be seventeen to take your family's seat on the Wizengamot, but you need only be eleven to become the head of your house. I believe that a trip to Gringotts is in order, don't you?"

"I'm not sure it's the right time for that yet Sirius. For one, we still have the issue of Wormtail to deal with. I also just don't have the feeling that this is the right time. I think we should wait another year before we take that step. It isn't hurting anything, not having a head of the Potter family, is it?"

"Not really. But I don't think you should wait too long, Harry. You will need the freedom that comes with the title, just wait and see."

After their meeting with Sirius, Harry and Draco, along with the Grangers, returned home. Since they now knew the location of Grimmauld Place, they could Floo between there and the Granger house at will. Since Harry had decided not to take of the mantle of his family yet, Sirius had pressed Harry to at least begin training with Remus and him. Harry had agreed to this with the caveat that Hermione and Draco could join them.

So every day for the next month, Harry, Hermione, and Draco would Floo over to Grimmauld Place for dueling practice against Remus mainly, as Sirius was very much out of practice after spending over a decade rotting in prison. The house was under a series of wards that blocked the detection of underage magic, making it a perfect training ground. Harry proved to be the greatest adversary for their Professor. The two tended to duel to a draw, either giving up due to exhaustion or each putting each other in a bind simultaneously. It was obvious that they were of equal skill. Hermione was not far behind. She could hold her own against Remus, who held a Defense Against the Dark Arts Mastery, but could not defeat him. Draco was further behind the other two. But that was to be expected, as he had not had the advanced training that the other two had had in their previous lifetime. The group had only taken one break so far, and that was for a couple days near the full moon, to allow Remus time to prepare and recover from his transformation.

While Remus was a skilled teacher and duelist, he eventually reached the conclusion that he was not enough to train the students. Harry had essentially reached a plateau, and Hermione's and Draco's progress had slowed. Both of the latter two had improved greatly however. One day after their training, the group was relaxing in the sitting room at Grimmauld Place when Remus broached the subject.

"I don't think that I am the best teacher to be training you in dueling anymore. I want to ask your permission to bring in outside help. I know of a couple of experts in Defense who are greater than myself who I would trust with my life. They would be better for you. I might even join you in training with them to learn a few things myself."

The Trio readily agreed, but Sirius was more apprehensive. He was afraid of being found out after having escaped from Azkaban. As they had not caught Pettigrew yet, he was still a fugitive.

"Moony, as much as I would like to participate in the training, I can't. Its too dangerous for me to be found out. If you insist on holding the sessions here, I will stay up in my room for their duration. Don't get me wrong; I'd love for you to have the sessions here, just don't think I can be a part of them."

After much discussion it was decided that the sessions would continue as before, minus the participation of Sirius. Harry, Hermione, and Draco returned to the Granger home, excited about the next day and wondering who the two masters would be.

The next day came far too slowly for the students' tastes. Eventually it was time for them to Floo over to Grimmauld Place for their daily training. When they tumbled out of the fireplace in the sitting room, they made their way down to the basement, where their training sessions had been held.

The room was far from the barren, concrete room it had been the day before. Now it was set up like a Japanese dojo, complete with paper walls and bamboo floors. (A/N: Think _The Matrix_ training simulation). But more than the appearance of the room, the three inhabitants caught the newcomer's eyes. First they noticed Remus, who was talking with the two other people. The first of these two new teachers was tall with greasy, slick hair. Dressed in billowing black robes, he cut a formidable figure. The second was a diminutive, bespectacled man with an energetic personality. It looked as though he only reached the waist of the first figure.

Severus Snape and Filius Flitwick turned to face their three students.

"Ah, Mister Potter, and Miss Granger. Mister Malfoy?" Snape began. "I did not expect you here. Your father has been very worried about you ever since you disappeared at the end of term. Very worried, indeed," Snape sneered. It was obvious from his tone of voice that he was not sincere in his belief that Lucius was worried.

Draco began to panic. Now his Godfather knew where he was, it would be child's play for his father to find him.

"Don't worry, Draco," Remus said. "Professors Snape and Flitwick have both taken Unbreakable Oaths not to divulge what goes on here or what they see. It was necessary, should they find out…certain things…about this place." Obviously there was a double meaning to those words. Harry figured it out immediately; he meant both Draco's presence here as well as Sirius's. Even though they could not reveal Sirius's true location, it behooved him to remain in hiding, as he and Snape had never gotten along well.

For the next few weeks, the Trio along with Remus were taught various new dueling skills by the two masters. Snape was involved due to his Death Eater background. He had greater insight into their strategies than anyone there, and he made the perfect opponent for dueling. It was like dueling real Death Eaters. Flitwick, meanwhile, was a champion dueler, who shared his tricks of the trade with the students. He suggested that all three should have backup dueling wands just in case they were ever disarmed in a fight. In addition, he proposed that they each buy holsters for those wands that were resistant to summoning. It would be better than keeping their wands in their robes.

Both Snape and Flitwick taught their pupils a number of new, advanced spells. But they insisted that they be used wordlessly. In fact, they forced the students to not say anything during the duel, as speaking your spells is like announcing what you are about to do to your enemy. Draco had the hardest time picking this up.

"Ugh!" Draco exclaimed, throwing down his wand after failing to perform a wordless spell for the fifth time. His failure had caused his defeat, again. Snape, with whom he had been dueling, walked over to him slowly.

"Draco," Snape said comfortingly, "when you try to do a wordless spell, what are you doing?"

"I ignore the incantation and just do the wand movements. I thought that wordless spells don't involve any words at all."

"Any _spoken_ words, yes. Draco, wordless magic only means silent magic. Perhaps we should refer to it as that from now on. When you do silent magic, you need to focus on the incantation in your head. When you learn a spell, don't you repeat the incantation to yourself over and over again to memorize it?" Draco nodded. "Do the same thing here. Think the spell to yourself. Visualize yourself performing the spell while you are doing the wand movements. Magic is all about intent, not power. Some witches and wizards are more powerful than others, yes, but the right intent can make up for a good portion of the difference. Now let's try it again."

From then on, Draco was able to perform silent magic. He still had a few times when he failed, but now that he knew the right way to do it, he was able to quickly pick himself back up and dust himself off and try again.

Sooner than anyone had expected, it was the end of summer. Draco was given one last haircut so that he would not stand out so much on the platform. About a week before school was to start, the group made one last trip to Diagon Alley to pick up their supplies for the coming year. The first stop was Gringotts, where Harry withdrew enough money for his and Draco's supplies, and converted a large number of galleons into Pounds to pay Dan back for the shopping trip earlier in the summer.

As was par for the course by now, the most time was spend in Flourish and Blotts. This time it was the group's first stop after the bank, as Harry and Dan were going to try a new strategy: getting it done with early. While they got the painful part done and out of the way earlier, it did not in any way shorten the visit; the book store visit still took more than an hour.

When the group exited the book store, they were met by a familiar red headed boy.

"Well, if it isn't Potter and his mudblood. Taking your pet snake out for a walk, I see," Ron sneered. Harry was almost beginning to second guess his decision to not be friends with Ron. He just seemed so much more nasty this time.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" boomed a voice behind Ron, who paled immediately. Molly Weasley strode up to the group the group and shot a quick sympathetic look at Harry and his friends. "How DARE you speak like that! Why I'm of half a mind to pull down your trousers right here in the Alley and use your back side for target practice for my stinging spells!" She grabbed Ron by the ear and pulled him off to the side of the Alley. The last Harry and his friends saw of them, Molly was apparating the two back to the Burrow.

After the short encounter with the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Draco made a few more stops to stock up on their supplies for the year before making a visit to Ollivander's.

The bell over the door rang as they entered, and Mr. Ollivander peeked his head around one of the shelves.

"Mister Potter, Miss Granger, and Mister Malfoy. I didn't expect to see you in here again. What can I do for you?" he asked in a moderately creepy tone.

"We're looking for second wands for ourselves just in case we are ever disarmed," Harry answered.

"Hmmm…finding a first wand is very tricky. Pity very few come in for a second, as it is much easier. But why may I ask, are you so interested in a second wand?"

Draco began to get nervous under the old man's intense gaze, but Harry and Hermione held their ground. They did not want the real reason they were getting second wands to get out.

"We were thinking of starting a dueling club at Hogwarts this year, and we wanted to be prepared with a few surprises of our own," Hermione lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie, just not the whole truth. Their training _was_ sort of like a club, and they _were_ dueling in it, so it was just a stretch of the truth.

Well, let's see here. Mister Potter, if I remember, you were eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather. Hmmm…let's try this one…" Mr. Ollivander pulled down a box and handed the wand to Harry. Almost instantly he yanked it back, muttering about difficult customers.

A half hour and several dozen unsuitable wands later, all three students had been outfitted with backup wands. Harry's was ten inches, oak and dragon heartstring, Hermiones was ten and a half inches, willow and unicorn hair, and Draco's was nine inches, holly and dragon heartstring.

"Now these wands are not perfect matches. They are meant to serve you only as emergency backups. In all other situations, you should use your original wands," Mr. Ollivander warned. Harry paid for the wands and six dragonhide holsters, one for each of them for each of their wands. The holsters were charmed so that they were impervious to summoning by anyone other than their original owner, and could be attached to the ankle or wrist and would become invisible to anyone but the owner once attached.

The group then left the shop and returned to the car, anxious to head home to enjoy the final week of their very eventful summer.

Too soon for anyone's tastes (except Hermione's) though, it was again September 1. The Granger clan along with their two guests drove to King's Cross Station once again. As they bid Dan and Emma goodbye, Draco shook Dan's hand. The two had really grown to respect each other over the course of the summer. Emma hugged Harry and Draco, and Hermione hugged both of her parents. The three students boarded the train and found a compartment with a familiar sleeping figure in it, and stowed their trunks. It was time to go back again.

A/N: So how was it? I managed to write this thing in one day, which I am pretty proud of. It's interesting how writing papers for school always takes so long, while this just seems so easy. Anyway, I hadn't planned on freeing Dobby like that, but as I forgot it in the last chapter, this is how it played out. However, I thought it worked well as a transition into Draco's situation. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, please let me know. Whenever I post a new chapter I feel like I am forgetting something, or that I overlooked something. Last chapter it was freeing Dobby and then someone else mentioned Ravenclaw's Diadem. Little things like that escape me in certain places. They will all get tied up in the end, but for some people, the placing may not seem logical. If that is the case, please let me know, I'm not perfect, but it might be something I can correct.


	12. Yea, Though I Walk

Chapter 12

Yea, Though I Walk…

The Hogwarts Express sped towards Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, full of students excited as to what adventures the new school year would bring. Alone in their own compartment, aside from a poorly dressed man in the corner, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy were engaged in a heated discussion on how to tackle certain matters.

"You can't just attack Ron and take his rat, Harry!" Hermione argued.

"Why not? He's been nothing but a git to us since we arrived. It's time for a little payback!" Harry retorted.

"Hate to break it to you Harry, but Hermione's right. Attacking another student, no matter how noble the reason, only brings negative attention to yourself," Draco interjected. Harry and Hermione stared silently at Draco. He was never one who was known for sage advice. Where that last suggestion had come from, they couldn't tell.

"Fine, but we have to think of something!" Harry broke the silence. "I want Sirius's name cleared as soon as possible. I made the mistake of letting him sit in prison for too long. I'm not going to make him wait any longer than I have to."

"We'll just have to wait for the right opportunity, Harry. We're both in Gryffindor along with Ron, so it shouldn't be that hard. We just have to distract him," Hermione said.

"What do we do with him when we capture him? We can't kill him, and we can't turn him over to Sirius, as he'll do just that. We should give him up to the Aurors. Amelia Bones who heads the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was always a fair-minded person. If we turn him over to her, I think she'll give him a fair shake," Harry suggested.

Suddenly, the train jolted to a stop. All three students in the compartment noticed the air was beginning to chill. A frost began to cover the windows of the train, and everyone was able to see their own breath.

"Oh, not this part again," Harry complained, pulling out his wand. Last time he had been unprepared. This time was different. He opened the door to the compartment to see a large, black, hooded, ghost-like creature in the corridor. Harry just rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at it, thinking of his best happy memory. "Expecto Patronum!" he yelled for maximum effect. A ghostly white stag burst from the tip of his wand and charged towards the Dementor, which fled at the approach of the oncoming Patronus.

Harry turned around to go back into the compartment only to find another Dementor on the other side of the corridor. _"I've never tried the Patronus charm wandlessly…" _he thought. Harry holstered his wand and put his hands at his sides. Focusing on his happiest memory once again, Harry visualized Prongs charging towards this Dementor as well. All of a sudden in front of him, a swirling white vortex appeared for a split second. When it disappeared, Prongs was in its place, and took off after the second Dementor, scaring it off the train as well.

Satisfied, Harry sat back down in his compartment, somewhat tired after casting such an advanced spell wandlessly and silently. What he didn't notice was that the fourth passenger of their compartment was now wide awake and was staring at Harry with wide eyes.

"Harry, you never told me you could conjure a corporeal Patronus wandlessly!" Remus exclaimed.

"I've never seen a wizard with that much raw power. Sure, Dumbledore can perform wandless magic, but his ability is very basic, involving low power spells. This gives me an idea. I want to spend a day this year doing a test on all of the students and their raw power. I have no doubt that you'll be near the top, but this just makes me curious now."

The rest of the train ride passed uneventfully after the train began to move again. Soon enough, the Hogwarts Express was pulling into Hogsmeade station. After disembarking and riding the carriages to the castle, the Trio took their seats at their respective house tables, waiting for the sorting and feast to start.

This year there were no new students of note, so the sorting passed without incident. The same could not be said of the feast. During the meal, Harry looked up at the Head Table to see his Great-Grandfather sneaking food off of the plate of the Transfiguration Professor sitting next to him. She, in turn, turned to him and did the same. Harry nearly choked at the thought that was going through his mind when he saw this.

Near the end of the feast, Harry and Hermione heard an unpleasantly annoying noise. After much investigation, they realized that Ron Weasley was speaking to them.

"Hey Scarface!" he yelled at them. Harry and Hermione laughed at the reference, which only served to confuse and further anger Ron.

"Shut up! I'm talking to you! That prancing around you did in Diagon Alley last week got me in trouble! You think I'm going to go easy on you this year just because my mum says so? You've got it coming to you Potter! You and little snake too!" This caused Harry and Hermione to chuckle again. This was not Ron's finest hour.

After calming down, Hermione spoke. "What about me?" she asked in a mock-innocent voice.

"Ah, yes, the mudblood. Can't forget about you can we? Even though we want to. Tell you what. I'll let you have a go with me first, before I curse you. How about that?"

Harry's face was beet red, and it was obvious that he was stewing in anger. "Ron Weasley, I challenge you to a wizard's duel!" he declared, wanting to defend Hermione's honor.

Ron, seemingly calling his bluff, responded. "You're on, Potter. Anytime, anywhere." This last part put a smile on Harry's face. He promptly stood up and strode up to the Head table. Everyone in the Hall could see Harry speaking with Dumbledore before returning to his seat. When he was seated, Dumbledore rose.

"Students, it appears we have some after supper entertainment tonight. From what I understand, Mr. Weasley has accepted a challenge for a wizard's duel with Mr. Potter, and has offered to do it…what were the exact words? Ah yes, 'anytime, anywhere.' While we at Hogwarts do not condone fighting, we do allow carefully supervised dueling as an extracurricular activity. I believe this would fall under that criteria. Now if all students and staff would please stand."

Every person stood from their seat and with a wave of Dumbledore's wand, the four house tables and the Head table disappeared. "Now, please gather in the center of the Hall," he requested. After that task had been completed, another wave of the Headmaster's wand created two sets of bleachers, one on each side of the Great Hall. On cue, the student body, with the exception of Harry Potter and a very nervous Ron Weasley took a seat in the stands. Hermione, for her part, had a smile on her face, and sat next to Draco. She then conjured a tub of popcorn and began to share it with Draco while looking at Harry and Ron intently.

The only other furniture that remained in the Great Hall besides the bleachers was Dumbledore's lectern. Standing at it, he amplified his voice slightly so that everyone would be able to hear him.

"While normally dueling would fall under the responsibility of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, this case is of particular interest to me, and therefore I will oversee the duel personally. Now, Mr. Potter, why have you challenged Mr. Weasley to this duel?"

Harry responded calmly and confidently. "He insulted my best friend, calling her an inappropriate name and made…lewd suggestions about her, sir. I am simply defending her honor."

"I see," Dumbledore replied. "And Mr. Weasley. Do you withdraw those comments?"

Ron thought for a moment. He didn't know if he could beat Potter in a duel, but he knew that if he withdrew his comments and apologized, then he would only be humiliated in the end. He chose to stand by what he said. "No," he said in a somewhat shaky voice.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Will the two participants please take their places, here, and here." From Dumbledore's wand shot two sparks similar to flares. They landed on the ground in front of him roughly ten meters apart. Ron stood on one, facing away from Dumbledore, and Harry stood on the other, facing his Great-Grandfather, who had a small smile on his face.

"Now, here are the rules of this particular duel," Dumbledore announced. "First, no Unforgivable Curses. Second, no curses aimed at the head or…more sensitive areas. Thirdly, and finally, the first combatant to knock over their opponent wins. Any questions?" There was no response from either Harry or Ron. "Then please bow to your opponent. We will begin on the count of three." Both combatants bowed, but Harry's was deeper.

"One." Harry and Ron drew their wands.

"Two." Both assumed a dueling stance.

"Three." Harry began to move in a circle around Ron, not firing a single spell. He was waiting to see what Ron did first.

"Furnuculus!" Ron shouted, attempting to cover Harry in boils. With a wave of his wand for show, Harry blocked the curse with a shield.

Harry then flicked his wand and sent a mild stunner at Ron, who flew back and hit the floor. Harry made a show of yawning and then sheathing his wand.

"Is that it, Weasley?" Harry asked in a bewildered tone. Ron stumbled to his feet, wand in his hand. "That's it. I'm done with this," Harry said, and turned around to walk out of the hall. When he passed Ron, he gave him a smile and had a triumphant look in his eyes.

Just as Harry reached the doors to the Great Hall, Ron shouted out, "Expulso!" attempting to cause Harry to explode. Without flinching, a shield sprung up around Harry, and the curse rebounded off of the shield and into a nearby wall, creating a crater in the wall and shooting debris throughout the Hall. Harry then calmly turned around and without his wand and without a word, Ron's wand flew into Harry's outstretched hand. Harry then walked the wand up to Dumbledore and handed it to him.

"Here, sir. I think it may be too dangerous for some students to be allowed to play with real wands." He then turned and left the silent Hall.

When he had left, one voice broke through the silence. "Mr. Weasley! That will be one hundred points from Gryffindor and a months detention with me for that outburst! You could have killed Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall glared at the red-head. She didn't enjoy taking points from her own house, but she would certainly enjoy the detentions.

* * *

In the end, Ron's detentions were scheduled every weeknight for two hours from seven until nine in the evening. Professor McGonagall had been especially nasty to him for his detention, and had him scrubbing the halls of the school manually with a toothbrush. One night, while he was out of Gryffindor tower for his punishment, Harry and Hermione decided to pay a visit to a certain pair of red-headed troublemakers. They found them in the library, which was a surprise, and led them up to the seventh floor and into a familiar room across the hall from the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. When they were inside, they closed the door.

"So, ickle Harrykins," Fred began.

"To what do we owe the pleasure?" George finished.

Harry rolled his eyes. He hated this habit of the twins.

"Well, Fred, George, I had an admission to make. I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Both twins' eyes grew wide.

"Why, Harry-"

"How did you know-"

"About one of the greatest-"

"Contributors to our success?"

Harry and Hermione had lost track of who was speaking during this exchange. Hermione decided that even the small conversation they had had so far like this was too much. "Guys, can you just speak normally? I mean, one of you speaks in a complete sentence before the other does?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

The twins looked at each other in mock hurt before Fred replied, "Fine, I guess we can do that."

"Thank you," Harry said, relieved. "Now to answer your question, it's easy to know about your 'secret' when your father's nickname was Prongs and your godfather's was Padfoot. Now on to what I came here for. Can I have the map?"

"You mean that your father and godfather were two of the greatest students to ever roam these halls?" George asked, amazed.

"And who were the others?" Fred begged.

"Here's what I'll do. If you give me the map, I'll take you to someone who can help you learn about the Marauders. How does that sound?"

Without a second thought, one of the twins, Hermione couldn't tell which, pulled out the old piece of parchment that had proven so useful over the years. They handed it to Harry, who pocketed it without a word. "Come with me," Harry beckoned.

The group walked through the halls silently, the twins almost bouncing with anticipation. They entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where Professor Lupin was sitting behind his desk grading papers. "Ah, Harry, what can I do for you tonight?" he asked, looking up from his pile.

"Well, Professor, these two fine, upstanding gentlemen were wanting to know about the Marauders," Harry said simply, with a smug grin on his face.

Lupin donned a pained look and moaned. "Harry, you didn't…"

"Sorry, Professor, but I had to. I needed the map for a certain _project_, and it was the only way."

"_The_ map? You mean that these two had the map? No wonder they've been able to get away with so much."

"Yeah. Anyway, Hermione and I will just leave you three now. Goodnight Uncle Moony." Harry chuckled as he started to walk out of the room. Fred and George had gasped.

"Fred! It's Moony! The brains of the operation!" Fred exclaimed.

"Tell us how you…" George began, and Lupin just groaned. That was the last thing Harry and Hermione heard as they left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom laughing.

Harry and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room and looked at the clock. It was only a quarter past eight in the evening. Grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill, Harry quickly began to write. When he had finished, he took the letter to the owlry and sent Hedwig off with it. By the time he had returned, it was only a few minutes until nine. They had successfully completed their errands for the night while Ron was indisposed.

* * *

Later that evening, Sirius Black was sitting in the kitchen at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, sipping his evening tea. Without warning, he heard a tapping on the kitchen window, and looked up to see a familiar snowy white owl outside. He opened the window to allow the bird in, and took the letter from her. After giving the owl a treat, it took off to find its owner, leaving Sirius alone again. He looked at the letter for a moment before opening it.

_Dear Mr. Padfoot,_

_It has come to my attention that a certain Mr. Wormtail will be available at Hogwarts tomorrow evening between seven and nine. We hope to make an occasion of the event, so we have invited another of his friends, Mr. Moony, as well. We are hoping that you can make it, as it could prove to be quite the freeing experience._

_On another note, I have heard that Honeydukes has some excellent products in their cellar. I believe that visiting there could yield various secrets._

_Sincerely,_

_Mr. Prongslet_

There it was. Tomorrow night they would make their attempt to capture Wormtail. Once again, Harry had written in code, probably in case the letter had been intercepted. But Sirius got the message. He was to use the secret passageway between Honeydukes and Hogwarts to visit the school the next night. Since the letter was addressed to Padfoot, it would probably be prudent to remain in that form for as long a possible so as to not be spotted.

Sirius did have one preparation to make, however. Getting up from the table, he went upstairs to a seldom-used room in the house. Unlocking it, he found himself in what appeared to be a dusty storage room. Sirius went to a cabinet in the corner and pulled out a box roughly twelve inches by eighteen inches. Inside, he found ten wands, each having belonged to one of his deceased relatives. When he had been captured, Sirius's wand had been snapped, and now he found himself defenseless. He tried six of the wands before finally finding the seventh wand to be an adequate match. As it was not a custom or new wand, adequate would have to do for now. He replaced the box and returned to his tea. Tomorrow would be an interesting day.

* * *

The next day came quickly. Harry and Hermione breezed through their classes for the day, and along the way they asked Professor Lupin for a meeting later that night in the classroom. At seven that evening, the pair met with their professor, who they were allowed to call Remus in private situations. Harry had brought his bag with him to the meeting as well, he was unsure of what they would need.

"Now what was so important that we needed to meet this late in the evening, Harry? Classes ended hours ago," Remus asked.

"I think it will all become clear if we just go outside the classroom, Remus. I think that we should go talk over by the stairs near here. There is a statue there that I am particularly fond of," Harry replied with a light tone.

Remus's eyes opened wider in realization. He followed his two students out the door and to the statue, where they only had to wait for a moment before a passage opened up in the statue, and a familiar convict stepped through. Sirius and Remus embraced like brothers before turning to Harry, who had pulled out the map. He touched his wand to the paper and spoke the password, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Instantly, ink began to spread across the parchment to reveal the greeting.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_Are proud to present_

_THE MARAUDER'S MAP_

"Ah, it brings a tear to my eye every time I see it," Sirius commented. The group pored over the map looking for one name in particular. Eventually they were able to find it. Peter Pettigrew was hiding in the Astronomy Tower.

"What's he doing up there?" Sirius asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," Hermione commented. "Ron always comments that Scabbers disappears constantly. Maybe he hides up there. It's a pretty secluded spot after all." Sirius just shrugged.

The quartet made their way up to the Astronomy Tower, using the map as a guide so as to avoid other people and protect Sirius. After a long and careful journey that took nearly an hour, they arrived at the Astronomy tower to find it empty. Naturally, they figured, Pettigrew must be hiding in his animagus form.

"Lumos," Remus said as the tip of his wand began to glow brightly, bathing the tower in a soft light. There, huddled against the wall of the tower, was a large garden rat.

"Ah, here's Scabbers," Harry announced loudly. He then proceeded to stun the rat wandlessly. Harry then pulled a piece of parchment from his bag and transfigured it into a small cage, in which he put the rat. It was then decided that they would pay a visit to Dumbledore's office.

On the trip to the Headmaster's office, Sirius decided to break the silence. "Well, that was pathetically easy," he commented, earning a round of grunts in agreement from his traveling companions. They arrived at Dumbledore's office and Harry gave the password, allowing them access to the staircase. As the stairs rose, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his bag and handed it to Sirius, who quickly draped it over himself. Before Harry could knock on the door to the office, he heard a grandfatherly voice summon him in.

"Come in, Harry."

Harry pushed open the door and allowed the others to walk in before him, careful to feel the air displacement as Sirius passed before entering himself and closing the door.

"Now what can I do for you four this evening?" Dumbledore asked.

"Four, Headmaster?" Remus asked, bewildered. Dumbledore just tapped his glasses as an answer. Then he spoke.

"Mr. Black, you are doing nobody any good hiding under that infernal cloak. You can come out now," Dumbledore said, causing Sirius to drop the cloak and look at Dumbledore with reservation in his eyes.

"Do not worry, Mr. Black. I am not going to report you or do anything like that. I believe that you mean no harm, as Harry here trusts you. I have learned to value Harry and Miss Granger's judgment greatly over the past few years, for reasons I am sure that you are already aware."

Sirius grinned sheepishly before grabbing the cage from Harry and placing it on the Headmaster's desk. He then reached into the cage and grabbed the stunned rat, placing it on the floor. Sirius then nodded to Remus, who pulled out his wand and aimed it at the prone animal.

"Animares Reverso," Remus intoned. A jet of blue light hit the rat, and it began to transform. In just under a second, what had once been a common rat was now a hulking figure of a man. "Headmaster Dumbledore," Remus began, "may I introduce Peter Pettigrew, the Secret Keeper for the Potters."

The twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes as he looked from Pettigrew to Sirius and back again. "What do wish me to do with this information? I argued for years for a trial for Mr. Black here, but to no avail. The reappearance of Peter Pettigrew will be taken as the return of a hero. It will just be assumed that he didn't die by Black's hands."

"Turn him over to the Aurors, Professor," Harry demanded. "Have Madame Bones question him under Veritaserum. Then we will have the truth. Sirius can be a free man again. He can have a real trial. He can have his name cleared. All it takes is a few people who are willing to challenge the system and question the powers that be.

This diatribe seemed to be the impetus that Dumbledore needed. He walked over to his fireplace and grabbed some floo powder, and threw it in. He then stuck his head into the flames and yelled "Amelia Bones!"

A few minutes later, Dumbledore returned to his desk. "Harry, Miss Granger, we will take it from here. Madame Bones has agreed to come to the school with a team of Aurors tomorrow for the questioning. As tomorrow is Saturday, you will be allowed to be present, as will Professor Lupin and Mr. Black. But for now, I must ask that you return to your dormitories for the evening. I will summon you at the appropriate time tomorrow. Good evening."

Just like that, Harry and Hermione were dismissed from the Headmaster's office. They took one last look at the beleaguered Headmaster before leaving. They returned to Gryffindor tower and bade each other goodnight before turning in. The next day would prove pivotal.

* * *

The sun rose far too early for Harry's liking, but he was eager to get started with the day. It was Saturday, so there were no classes, which gave Harry the uncomfortable feeling that it would be a boring day until he and Hermione were summoned to the questioning of Wormtail. Fortunately, he did not have long to wait, as shortly after waking, a note appeared on his bedside table.

_Harry,_

_Your presence is requested in the Headmaster's office immediately to deal with a matter of grave importance. Miss Granger has also received a similar note._

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Harry couldn't help but chuckle lightly. Dumbledore could be extremely formulaic when the times called for it. He quickly dressed in clean robes and met Hermione in the common room. With their hands intertwined, they made the long walk to the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office.

When they arrived in the office, they found it full to bursting with Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, Madame Bones, Pettigrew, as well as several Aurors including Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Ah, Harry, Miss Granger. Thank you for coming on such short notice. Madame Bones here was just about to start the questioning of our old friend, Mr. Pettigrew, but I was able to persuade her to wait for a few more minutes. Now that you are here, we can proceed. Madame Bones, if you would?"

"Very well. We are here to as a preliminary step in the determination of the guilt of Mr. Sirius Black," she began, introducing the particulars of the situation to the newcomers. "Mr. Peter Pettigrew has been found alive after being presumed dead and has been accused of betraying the secret location of James and Lily Potter, as well as the murder of a number of muggles. Questioning will be performed under the influence of Veritaserum."

At this, Kingsley produced a small bottle of clear liquid and immobilized the trembling Pettigrew. With Pettigrew's throat paralyzed, Kingsley poured the potion down his throat, and massaged the throat muscles so that he swallowed it. He then removed the paralysis and instantly Pettigrew's eyes glazed over, indicating that the potion was in effect.

"What is your full name?" Madame Bones asked.

"Peter Charles Pettigrew," he answered.

"Was Sirius Black the Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"No."

"Who was?"

"I was," Pettigrew responded truthfully. He was completely aware of the questioning, but was unable to answer anything other than the truth.

"Did you betray the Potters to Who-Know-Who?"

"Yes."

"What happened after that?"

"Sirius confronted me in a muggle neighborhood but I blew up the street and cut off my finger to frame him for the whole thing."

Sirius had a triumphant look in his eyes at this revelation. Madame Bones, for her part, had a look that was a cross between astonishment and satisfaction. On the one hand, she was amazed that the Ministry had held an innocent man for so long, and that a man who was thought guilty by the entire magical world was not. On the other hand, this only confirmed what Dumbledore had explained to her the night before when he called her.

"One last question. Are you a loyal follower of You-Know-Who?"

There was a long pause before Pettigrew answered. "Yes."

After that last admission, the rest of the meeting was purely a formality. Pettigrew would be remanded to the custody of the Aurors, pending a trial in front of the Wizengamot. There would likewise be a trial before that same body for Sirius Black, now that corroborating evidence had been found. The meeting ended with a very satisfied Harry and Hermione leaving the office, glad for the fact that Sirius was now closer to his freedom than he had ever been in their previous life. What neither of them knew, however, was just how quickly that freedom would come.

* * *

The next morning found the Trio eating breakfast together in the Great Hall for a change, instead of separately at different tables. Harry was in the best mood he had been in in weeks after the events of the previous day. He was chatting in an animated fashion with Draco about Quidditch when the daily post arrived. An owl dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of Hermione, who paid the bird and opened the paper.

"Well, they can sure move fast when they want to," she commented when she read the headline. She passed the paper to Draco.

"Probably want to cover their themselves. They want to get the problem taken care of and out of the public spotlight as soon as possible," Draco said, glancing at the top story and passing the paper to Harry. Harry took one look at the title before his heart burst with joy.

**Sirius Black Found Innocent!**

_In a stunning development today, the Wizengamot found Sirius Black not guilty of all charges he had previously been convicted of. In a rare reversal, the body found that Mr. Black was unjustly imprisoned without a proper trial, and issued a public apology. Mr. Black has also been given restitution totaling one million galleons for time lost in Azkaban. When contacted for a comment, Mr. Black stated that he is saddened by the level of corruption that allowed his lengthy imprisonment, but wishes to look forward and lead the life of a free man for the first time in over a decade…_

The story below that one was just as interesting.

**Peter Pettigrew Found Alive!**

_Order of Merlin winner Peter Pettigrew was found alive yesterday due to a series of undisclosed events. When questioned under Veritaserum concerning his disappearance, Mr. Pettigrew admitted to betraying James and Lily Potter to You-Know-Who, as well as the murder of a number of muggles. He then confessed to having framed Sirius Black for both events. In a related development, Mr. Black was today found innocent of all charges. Trials were held today for both men, with Mr. Black being acquitted, and Mr. Pettigrew being convicted. For his role in the betrayal and murders, as well as the framing of Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew has been sentenced to being kissed by a Dementor. For more information concerning the acquittal of Sirius Black, see the top story._

These two stories alone gave Harry a level of comfort that he had not felt in ages. The simple act of not letting Pettigrew escape as he had last time allowed a series of event to unfurl, culminating in the freeing of his godfather. Sirius now enjoyed a level of freedom he could only have dreamed of in Harry's previous timeline.

The one unfortunate aspect of this series of developments was the fact that Cornelius Fudge was not implicated at all. He had been a party to Sirius's imprisonment for years, yet the media was not tackling him or his administration. Instead, what troubled Harry was that the corruption was allowed to continue. However angry Harry was at this point, he was, in the eyes of the public, only thirteen years old. No matter how famous he was, he could not attempt to bring down the Minister of Magic. Not yet, at least.

* * *

With Sirius freed, Harry felt as though, for now, he had no worries. Sure there were issues looming on the horizon, but he felt it was time to take care of something that was long past due. About two weeks after the capture and trial of Pettigrew, Harry began to make preparations. Nobody was aware of what he was doing, but he seemed to be purposefully avoiding Hermione.

September 19 dawned brightly in the Scottish countryside near Hogwarts. Hermione Granger awoke to find a single red rose sitting on the night stand next to her bed, along with a note.

_Hermione,_

_Happy Birthday. I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, but I needed to take care of a few things with Grandpa. Not to worry, though. I'll see you again soon._

_Happy Birthday again. You'll get my gift later tonight._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione smiled to herself and put the letter aside, admiring the rose. She was perplexed by what Harry could be doing for Dumbledore, but she let it slide. Harry had a lot on his plate right now, so mysterious errands were to be expected. She got dressed and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When she arrived at the Great Hall, she was met by a crowd of students surrounding the closed doors to the Hall. On the doors there was a note.

_The Great Hall has been closed for one day for refurbishment. Meals will be served in your house common rooms by house-elves. The Great Hall will be open again tomorrow._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Now that was weird, Hermione thought. She had read Hogwarts: A History several times through, and she had never heard anything about the Great Hall, or any other portion of the building, being closed for refurbishment. This was the magical world. Any repairs or cleaning could be done nearly instantly. This thought troubled Hermione, but she pushed it to the back of her mind and returned to Gryffindor tower for breakfast before going to classes.

Harry was not present in any other their shared classes, either. None of the Professors seemed to mind, and they all gave Hermione instructions to pass on the day's assignments to Harry when she saw him next.

Hermione did not return to her dormitory until supper time. When she did, she found another note on her bed, written in a familiar scrawl.

_Hermione,_

_As you read this letter, a box will appear on your bed. Please put on what is in the box and come down to the Great Hall. The doors will open at exactly 7 PM._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione put the letter down and saw a large box sitting on her bed. Opening it, she found a periwinkle blue dress-the same one she had worn to the Yule Ball during her fourth year. She then glanced at the clock. It was just after 6 PM. Rushing into the nearby bathroom with the dress, Hermione quickly put it on and began to work on her hair. She had gotten the hint.

Just under an hour later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom, looking just like she had at the Yule Ball, if she did say so herself. However, she was very self conscious dressed like this. Peeking her head out of her dorm room, she saw that the common room was completely empty. Hermione walked down the stairs carefully, in case there was still people lingering about. The room was indeed empty.

Hermione left Gryffindor tower and began the journey through the halls of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall. Not once during her trip did she see another person. It was as if the entire student body had disappeared.

Once she reached the Great Hall, Hermione glanced at a clock on the wall to see that it was five minutes to seven. As she waited, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Hermione spun around to see Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, the latter with his arm around the former's waist. McGonagall broke away from Dumbledore to walk up to Hermione.

"You look beautiful, dear," she commented sincerely. "Don't tell him we said this, but he put a lot of work into this. You're very lucky to have someone like him." McGonagall gave Hermione a warm smile before returning to the Headmaster, who also gave Hermione a smile, but his came with the bonus of a twinkle in his eye.

The pair walked away just as the clock chimed seven. As promised, the doors to the Great Hall swung open to reveal a sight that Hermione thought she would never see again. Inside, she saw the familiar silver frost-covered walls with garland strung along them, as well as a hint of lightly falling snow coming from the ceiling. A pair of great, snow covered Christmas trees adorned the front corners of the hall. It was a vista that took Hermione's breath away.

In the middle of the Hall, a lone figure stood waiting. Harry had managed to find the same dress robes that he had worn to the original Yule Ball in a shop, and wasted no time in buying them then and there. Hermione walked up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"It's beautiful Harry. Is this what you've been doing for the past few days?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "But I won't go into it too much. I don't want to ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that I thought this night needed a do-over."

"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry grabbed her hand and slow music began to play. The two started to dance slowly. Hermione couldn't help but notice how right this felt.

"I made a terrible mistake that night. I went with the wrong person. The night of the Yule Ball in our fourth year, when I saw you walk down those stairs, that was when I realized that I was in love with you. But I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything to show it. Instead, I sat back and let Ron get angry with you. I told myself, if I could do that night over again, things would be different. Now here we are. Happy Birthday, Mione."

The two danced for what seemed like hours before Harry pulled Hermione out of the Hall and towards the front gates to the school. Outside, they found Harry's Nimbus 2000 hovering just above the ground. Harry mounted the broom and motioned for Hermione to do the same.

"Oh, no, Harry. There's no way I'm getting on that thing. You know how I hate flying."

"Please, Mione? I promise I won't let anything happen to you, and I'll go slowly. I just want to show you why I like flying so much," Harry begged. He then donned a sad face to try to weaken Hermione's resolve.

It worked. "Oh, how can I ever argue with you when you put on that face?" Hermione asked, defeated. She mounted the broom behind Harry and grabbed him tightly around his waist. Harry kicked off and rose slowly into the air. He then flew them over the Forbidden Forest then stopped and turned around.

The sight that greeted Hermione was breathtaking. Harry had flown them to a point where they could see the entire grounds of Hogwarts, the castle aglow with light in the night, its reflection glistening off of the surface of the Black Lake. It was a scene not unlike that which greeted the new first years every year.

"This is why I really fly," Harry explained. "Not for the adrenaline rush that comes from flying fast, which is also fun. But from the peacefulness of it. Sometimes I just like to come up here alone and collect my thoughts while I sit here like this."

Hermione couldn't blame him. "It's amazing, Harry. Thank you."

"Anything for you, Mione," Harry said sweetly.

The two flew around the grounds for a while, taking in the view. All of a sudden, the broom dropped about ten feet without warning. Hermione screamed at the sudden change in altitude. When she regained her composure, she found that Harry was laughing. She freed one hand from his waist and gently smacked him on the head.

"You great prat! I hate you for that!" she admonished lightly.

"Well, you'd better get to like me soon, because when we're old enough, I'm going to marry you," Harry declared confidently.

Hermione was speechless. "Harry, you shouldn't joke about things like that," she said shakily.

"Who said I was joking," Harry whispered to her in a husky voice that made her shiver. But this was a good sensation.

Harry then landed the broom in the Hogwarts courtyard and both of the riders disembarked. Harry then pulled a box from his robe and handed it to Hermione. She looked at him and then opened the box. Inside she found two mirrors.

"I got the idea from our last time around," Harry explained. "Sirius and my Dad had a pair of mirrors, just like these, that they would use to communicate whenever they wanted. I thought that you could give one pair to your parents, and keep the other. That way, you wouldn't have to wait for them to write back to you when you wanted to talk to them."

Hermione hugged Harry. This was the most meaningful gift he had ever given her, in either lifetime. "It's wonderful, Harry. Thank you so much." The hug then turned into a snogging session, one that lasted for quite a long time before either of them broke it. Harry then took Hermione's hand and reentered the school. Glancing at the clock, Hermione noticed that it was past midnight. She began to panic, but Harry noticed and calmed her down.

"Don't worry. I have it all taken care of. We've been excused from curfew for tonight. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "It was perfect, Harry. It was perfect."

* * *

The next four weeks proceeded without incident. As a free man, Sirius paid a visit to Diagon Alley and purchased himself a new wardrobe as well as a new, personalized wand from Ollivanders. While there were those who still cowered at the sight of him, the reaction from the public to his appearance was decidedly neutral.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, things continued normally. The Trio still had training with Professors Snape, Flitwick, and Lupin. Since he was now free, it was announced that Sirius would be given the title of Assistant Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and fill in as the teacher for that class for a few days per month whenever Professor Lupin's "furry little problem" reared its ugly head.

Harry and Hermione were both taking nearly all available classes, with the exceptions of Muggle Studies, which both thought was useless as they were both muggle-raised, and Divination. Harry had taken that class before, so he and Hermione both knew that it was rubbish. In exchange, Harry was taking Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and had Hermione tutor him, as she had taken the classes before, so that he could keep ahead of the other students in the class.

One day, in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Lupin announced to his class that he would be casting a spell on each of the students to test their potential magical power level. This got a rise from most of the class, as some of them were embarrassed to find out.

"There is nothing to be ashamed by. This just simply puts a number to your abilities. When I cast the spell, a number will appear next to you. The spell runs on a scale of one to one hundred. The average witch or wizard is a fifty on that scale," he explained. Lupin then proceeded to cast the spell on himself, and a large number 70 appeared next to him. "For comparison's sake, the two wizards with the highest recorded value are Headmaster Dumbledore and You-Know-Who. Both of whom rated a 90. Now if you would please form a single-file line."

Naturally, his ego getting the best of him, Ron Weasley jumped into line first. He was to be disappointed, as the number 48 appeared next to him. The line continued to move. The Trio found themselves near the back of the line. Draco was the first of their group to go. Up until that point, the highest score had been 62.

"Vires Aperire," Lupin intoned. (A/N: Roughly translated: Power Revealed)

Instantly the number 69 appeared next to Draco. The class was amazed that the Slytherin had power that was almost equal to their Professor. Draco, pleased with himself, returned to his seat to see the results from his friends.

Harry was next up. He nervously stood next to Professor Lupin, who aimed his wand at Harry.

"Vires Aperire," Lupin said, and his eyes grew wide at the result. He wasn't the only one. Gasps were heard from around the classroom as everyone saw the number floating next to Harry. Harry looked over to see the number 150 floating next to his head.

"Impossible," Lupin gasped. "The scale has been around for over 500 years. Nobody has ever broken one hundred in that time."

"The founders lived a thousand years ago," Harry muttered under his breath.

If the class was amazed by Harry's result, they were even more amazed by Hermione's, who came next. She was also rated at 150. It was impossible enough for one student to have that rating, but for two…nobody could believe it.

Lupin wiped the amazed look off of his face and returned his attention to the class. "There must be something wrong with the spell. Since I'm not sure what went wrong, I think that is enough of that for now. If I didn't get to any of you, and you are still curious, please come and see me in my office later. For now, let's proceed with our lesson for today, which is a continuation of yesterday's lecture on…"

Harry and Hermione were both surprised and not. They both knew that they were magical heirs of two of the founders, but they had not expected themselves to have that level of potential power. They vowed not to mention it to anyone for now until they could research it more. Besides, they didn't want to make any of the other students, such as Ron, any more jealous than they already were. Instead, they would just continue as normal for the time being.

However, life was not to continue pleasantly for long. Two weeks after Sirius became a free man, Harry and Hermione received a summons to Dumbledore's office. When they arrived, they saw that he had a grave look on his face.

"Harry, Miss Granger, please sit down," he said in a serious tone. The students did as they were asked.

"Miss Granger, I am sorry to say that there was an attack on your parents dental practice a short time ago." Hermione gasped. "It appears that your relationship with Harry here has made you more of a target than you would have already been as a muggle-born. Fortunately, your parents were out of town at the time, visiting your mother's parents. They have since decided to stay there for now for their safety. But there were substitute doctors and patients in the practice. I'm afraid that roughly a dozen people were killed when followers of Voldemort sealed and ignited the building."

Hermione breathed a small sigh of relief for the safety of her parents, but was saddened to think of the loss of life. But Dumbledore was not finished yet.

"Harry, before you begin to blame yourself, remember this. You could not have stopped this attack. Just being muggles was enough to make them a target, you know that. During the first war against Voldemort, there were frequent random attacks against muggle targets. In this case, the location was just coincident, but I believe that the timing is tied to the capture of Peter Pettigrew. Harry, do not go beating yourself up over this. It is not your fault."

Hermione found herself nodding feverishly at everything Dumbledore said. She knew that Harry's hero complex would cause him to feel guilty about every life lost. While each one was a tragedy, she thought, collateral damage was to be expected. He could not go around blaming himself for each and every death. He had to accept it and learn from it.

Harry, though, was not thinking along the same lines as Hermione. He was more thinking about what he could do to protect his guardians, the Grangers. Their dental practice had been attacked. It was within reason that their home could be as well. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Dobby," Harry called, and the house-elf appeared before him.

"Harry Potter has called Dobby?" the creature asked.

"Dobby, am I right in assuming that the Malfoy's have given you clothes and freed you?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Harry Potter is a wise wizard to know that. Dobby is a free elf."

"How would you like to work for me, Dobby? I would pay you two galleons per week and give you one day off per week."

"Oh no, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby cannot accept pay or days off. Other elves would make fun of Dobby. Call him lazy."

"Dobby, this is not about what other elves want, this is about what you want. I would like for you to work for me, and I want to pay you. I know that you work hard, and I want to reward you. Now would you like to work for me?" Harry asked in a more forceful tone.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby would love to work for the great Harry Potter!" Dobby said excitedly.

Harry looked at Hermione for approval. While her face had a look of confusion on it, he could see that she did approve of his giving Dobby pay and time off.

"Dobby, for now I would like for you to just stay here at Hogwarts and help the Hogwarts elves. If I need you, I will call you. Can you do that?" Harry asked.

"Dobby can!" the house-elf exclaimed.

"Good. I think that's all for now, Dobby." At this, Dobby disappeared with a pop. "Now, Professor, no Grandpa. And Hermione. I bet you are both wondering why I did that. I can't explain now, just trust me. However, I need to ask for tomorrow off of class. I have a few things to take care of in Diagon Alley, and I would like Hermione to come with me. Is that possible, Grandpa?"

"Harry, in light of recent events, I have no choice but to trust you. I will make arrangements for you to be excused from class. Also, if you come to my office tomorrow morning, I will fashion a portkey for you to take to Diagon Alley. I don't need to stress how careful you must be, do I Harry?"

"No, not at all. We should only be gone for a few hours, I just have an errand or two to run. Now if there's nothing else?" Dumbledore shook his head. Harry took Hermione's hand and the two walked out of the office.

"Hermione, don't worry about your parents' safety. I'm working on it. I just need you to be ready to go at nine tomorrow morning. I'll explain everything when we get to the Alley," Harry said mysteriously.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur for Hermione. She had been overwhelmed to think of how close she had come to losing her parents. The only thing that saved them was a random trip to visit relatives. But she wondered what Harry had in store for them to keep them safe. All she knew was that she would trust Harry with her life, and she was about to trust him with her parents' lives.

* * *

Promptly at nine in the morning the next day, Harry picked Hermione up at the base of the girls stairs in Gryffindor tower. The two once again made their way to the Headmaster's office, in what was seemingly becoming a daily ritual. When they arrived, Dumbledore produced a length of rope that, when tapped with a wand, would activate. The first trip would take them to Diagon Alley, the second would return them to Hogwarts. It would be necessary to leave the wards of the school for it to work, however.

Harry and Hermione thanked the Headmaster and took the rope. The pair exited the school through the front gates and walked a ways until they were sure they were outside the school's wards. Harry and Hermione both grabbed the rope and Harry tapped it with his wand. Almost instantly, the two found themselves in Diagon Alley, recovering from the strange tugging sensation from behind their navel.

Harry pulled Hermione towards Gringotts without saying anything. Once inside, they walked up to the first available counter.

"What can I do for you?" drawled the goblin behind the counter in a bored tone.

"My name is Harry Potter, and I'd like to speak to the head of the Inheritance Department, please," Harry requested.

"Just a moment. Sharpclaw will be with you momentarily. He waved Harry and Hermione aside and waited on the next patron. Within a minute, a second, older looking goblin emerged from a hidden door and walked up to the pair.

"My name is Sharpclaw. And you must be Mr. Potter. I was told you wanted to speak to me as head of the Inheritance Department? In that case, please follow me," the newcomer said. Harry and Hermione followed the goblin through the door he had arrived through, and down a corridor. After a few turns, they found themselves in front of another door. Sharpclaw ushered them in and sat down behind the desk in the room. Obviously this was his office.

"Now what can I do for you, Mr. Potter?" he asked.

"I am interesting in taking up the position as head of the Potter House," Harry explained. "I have been made aware that one can take up that responsibility after the age of eleven, so I was wondering how one would go about doing so."

"Excellent question, sir. All we really need is a small sample of your blood. Just a moment while I summon the appropriate paperwork." With a wave of his hand, a pile of parchment lay on the desk. Sharpclaw took the top piece and placed it in front of Harry. He then summoned an ornamental dagger from a bookshelf in the office and handed that to Harry as well.

"We just need a small drop of blood. All you need to do is prick your finger and press it to the parchment. It is enchanted to confirm your identity as soon as you press your finger to it."

Harry used the dagger to prick his finger and, ignoring the slight pain, pressed the bloody tip to the parchment. As soon as he removed his finger, the print glowed green before disappearing completely.

"Very good, sir. It appears that you are who you say you are," Sharpclaw said. He then waved his hand again, and the dagger returned to its original position, and a box appeared in his hand. The goblin opened the box and withdrew a ring.

"This is the Potter family signet ring. It is charmed to only be visible to others when it senses that you desire it's presence. It signifies your position as Lord Potter, as well as your ownership of all monies, properties, and titles that come with that position," Sharpclaw explained. He then handed the ring to Harry, who slipped it on his finger. As soon as he did so, an aura of white light surrounded Harry for a brief moment. It then faded, and Sharpclaw stood and bowed before Harry.

"Congratulations, Lord Potter, on your ascension. I hope that you will continue to conduct your family's business with Gringotts?" he inquired.

"Yes. At this time, I find no reason to change that. I am curious, however, about my properties and holdings. Do you have a statement with that information?" Harry asked.

"Of course." The goblin pulled out another piece of parchment from the pile. This one had a series of numbers that were constantly changing. "This parchment contains your balance in each of your vaults. As you can see, the Potter trust vault has ten thousand galleons in it. That value is replenished each year until you reach the age of majority, or seventeen. The main Potter family vault has a balance of just over 112 million galleons, however that number is increasing due to interest payments."

Hermione's eyes went wide. She knew Harry had some money, but she never knew he was this loaded.

"You also own two houses. Potter Manor as well as the cottage in Godric's Hollow, which has been rebuilt since its destruction. Both properties are cared for by a team of house-elves. In addition to these holdings, you also have a third vault that contains family heirlooms and other valuable treasures. This vault acts as a sort of safe-deposit box in muggle banks. You may add and withdraw any item you choose from this vault at any time.

Finally, as another component of your accepting the Lordship, you are now considered to be an emancipated minor. You are free from restrictions on underage magic, and are also considered an adult. Both of these facts are necessary to carry out your duties as head of your house. Incidentally, that position carries with it the power to declare a familial war with other houses, as well as form alliances and bring others into your family and disown them.

I believe that covers everything I was needing to inform you about. Did you have any questions, Lord Potter?"

"Just a couple. Is it possible for you to create a reusable portkey between Hogwarts and Potter Manor?"

Sharpclaw nodded and pulled out a box. Inside there were a series of pendants. "These pendants are meant to be worn around the neck. All one must do is hold them in their hand and say the destination they want. They have been configured for the destinations you requested. Did you wish to add any others?"

"Actually, can you add the Godric's Hollow cottage as well as Number 12, Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked.

"It has been done, my Lord," Sharpclaw said as he handed the box to Harry.

"I have just one other thing to ask. Can you add another person to my account? I would like to add Hermione Granger to my family vault with access equal to my own."

Hermione was shocked. "Harry, you don't need to do that-" she began, but Harry cut her off.

"Mione, there is nobody on Earth that I trust more than you. If anything were to happen to me, I want you to be cared for. Please, let me do this," he pleaded, even though his mind was already made up. Hermione nodded in acquiescence.

After Hermione had given a sample of her blood as well so that her identity could be confirmed, she was issued her own copy of the Potter family vault key. Harry had been given one as well. The two then left Gringotts and headed to a desolate corner of the Alley. Both grabbed one end of the rope and Harry tapped his wand on it. They soon found themselves just outside the gates to Hogwarts.

After returning the length of rope to Dumbledore and returning to their dormitory, Harry sat down to write a letter to the Grangers.

_Dear Dan and Emma,_

_By now you must have heard about the attack on your practice today. I'm sorry to say that, for now, it may not be safe for you to stay in the non-magical world. Even though your house is protected by the Fidelius Charm, that is not a perfect protection, and it cannot protect you outside your home._

_Therefore, I have taken some steps to provide for your safety. If you could meet Hermione and I at your home tomorrow afternoon at two, we shall explain everything._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

Harry read over the letter again before sending it off with Hedwig. He had everything planned out in his mind about what he would do, he just needed to get all three Grangers on board with his plan.

* * *

At about half past one in the afternoon the next day, Harry and Hermione made their way back to Dumbledore's office, this time to use the fireplace he had there. They had been given special clearance to once again leave the confines of the school. This time, however, they only planned to be gone for a short amount of time. Once in the office, Harry walked to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. He stood in the hearth and threw it down, "Granger's Residence!" he declared, and disappeared. Hermione did the same and soon found herself in the living room of her parent's house.

At the sound of the fireplace spitting out visitors, Dan and Emma entered the living room. Apparently, they had been home for a short time already. The four sat down on the furniture before speaking.

"Alright, Harry, what's going on?" Dan asked, getting straight to the point.

"I'm sorry to hear about your practice, but I believe that it was a deliberate attack on you as Hermione's parents. A few weeks ago we captured one of Voldemort's followers. He was put on trial and was executed for his crimes. His trial paved the way for the acquittal of Sirius, who you meet back at Grimmauld Place. I think that the Death Eaters, or followers of Voldemort, used the trial of their cohort as an excuse to attack a muggle target. As Hermione is magical, and you are muggle, it made perfect sense. As a result, I do not think that you are now safe outside of the magical world."

"But I thought this house was protected by Fidelity charm, or whatever," Dan questioned.

"Fidelius, and yes, it is. However, no protection is perfect. My parents were still found out under the charm, and they were murdered. Now, do I think that your Secret Keeper, Draco, will go telling your location to others? The answer is no. But eventually you will need to leave the house, and then your safety cannot be guaranteed. I think it would be better for you to move into the magical world for the time being," Harry explained.

"But we can't just leave our practice," Emma objected. "All of our money is tied up there. That is our life."

"I think it best if you took an extended hiatus from your practice for now. Right now, the building is in ruin anyway, so it would take a great deal of work to go back to. As for the money, you will never want for anything again. I have more than enough to go around. Yesterday, I claimed my head of house position, as Sirius suggested, in order to help you out."

"What are you proposing, Harry?" Hermione asked, wanting to finally get some answers.

"I am asking you, Dan and Emma, to move into Potter Manor for now. The wards surrounding it are ancient, and are among the best in the magical world. The ancestral home of one of the ancient houses are usually one of the safest places in the world. The wards there are only rivaled by those at Hogwarts." Harry pulled out the box of pendants from his robes. "These pendants are transportation devices in the magical world known as portkeys. You should wear it around your neck at all times. If you grab it and state your desired destination, it will take you there instantly. Right now, these ones have four destinations set into them. Potter Manor, my parent's cottage at Godric's Hollow, Grimmauld Place, and just outside the wards of Hogwarts. If you choose to make the move, it can be done in a very short amount of time. Literally in minutes."

Dan and Emma looked at each other before Emma spoke. "We need to have some time to talk about this. Excuse us for a few minutes." The two adults walked out of the room and into the adjoining kitchen. Harry and Hermione could see the two talking in hushed tones for several minutes before they returned.

"Alright, Harry. We agree to go to your house. We're not happy about leaving our lives behind, but we understand that you only want our safety. The only thing we ask is that, if it turns out to be safe, and not some random attack on us, that you let us return to our house here."

"That's fine," Harry said. "Dobby."

Dobby appeared before the group with a pop. Emma shrieked and Dan recoiled into the couch in shock.

"Master Harry Potter has called for Dobby?"

"Dobby, please. You don't have to call me Master. Anyway, Dan and Emma, this is Dobby, my house-elf. Think of him as something similar to a butler in the muggle world, but magical. Dobby, this is Dan and Emma Granger, Hermione's parents."

"It is nice to meet the parents of Harry Potter's misses," Dobby said, bowing. Dan and Emma exchanged a look at what the elf had just said. Harry and Hermione turned beet red.

"Ahem. Anyway, Dobby, Mr. and Mrs. Granger will be moving to Potter Manor. Do you know where that is?" Harry asked, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters.

"Dobby knows where it is," the small creature exclaimed.

"Good. Could you please begin to move the Granger's belongings into Potter Manor? They will be arriving soon, but until then, please place their possessions in similar places to where they are now. I'm sure that Dan and Emma will give you some guidance about placement when they arrive," Harry said in an unsure voice.

Dobby instantly disappeared, and the Grangers noticed that the various items scattered throughout their living room began to slowly vanish. They assumed the same was happening throughout the house. Not wanting to find themselves without furniture to sit on, the group stood up. Harry and Hermione bade the Grangers good day, and told them that they would visit them at Potter Manor in short time to check up on them. Before they could leave, Dan pulled Harry aside.

"Harry, you and I will need to have another little talk when I see you again," Dan said, in his best impression of an overbearing father. It worked, and Harry was quaking in his boots after just a single sentence. Dan then patted Harry on the back in an exaggeratedly friendly fashion before Harry and Hermione returned to the fireplace and Hogwarts.

After Harry had retired to his dormitory later that night, he pulled out his diary and turned to the last chapter, titled _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. _He read the chapter over to refresh his memory on a certain adventure he and his friends had had. Harry was resolved to end the war as soon as possible, instead of waiting for events to come to him. As a result, he was determined to find a certain series of objects sooner rather than later. He would begin that task tomorrow. For now, he slept.


	13. Through the Valley of

Author's Note: Sorry about the long delay (long for me), but this had to be the hardest chapter to write yet. I had to restart it a couple of times to get it to the point where I was at all happy with it. Here are the results. It's not quite as long as the last chapter, but this one serves as the staging ground for the next chapter, where there will be a few developments. As always, thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, and please review this one as well. Please let me know if you see any mistakes as well, and I will correct them. Also, if there are those who are interesting in being my beta for this story, please PM me. I still do not own Harry Potter though.

Chapter 13

Through the Valley of…

Harry Potter awoke with a start, drenched with sweat. As was part of his usual nightly routine, Harry had practiced his Occlumency techniques before going to bed. He had cleared his mind as he had always done, and concentrated on shoring up the walls and fortifications that protected his mind. But somehow, despite these protections, something had gotten through. Or rather, something had happened. He needed to find Dumbledore.

Digging through his trunk and pulling out the Marauders Map and his invisibility cloak, Harry slipped out of the boys dormitory and through the portrait hole in the common room, out into the corridor. Studying the map, he found that Dumbledore was in his private chambers, but he was not alone. There was another there with him, a certain Transfiguration professor. Harry smiled. It was only eleven at night, but the two were together in the Headmaster's private living room.

Soon, Harry reached the gargoyle that protected the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Turning and going down the hall near the statue, he found a portrait of Merlin. Not knowing the password to this portrait, Harry decided to knock instead. Doing so, he heard the shuffle of feet and what sounded remarkably like someone flooing out of the room. A moment later, a very flushed looking Albus Dumbledore opened the portrait.

"Ah, Harry. What can I do for you this evening?" he asked nervously.

Harry gave a knowing smile before deciding to let the matter drop. "I had a nightmare. Well, not a usual nightmare like small children have, but one involving Voldemort."

Dumbledore glanced around the corridor outside his chambers before ushering Harry inside. Harry walked into a sitting room with dark red walls and dark gold carpeting. On one wall, a large fireplace was burning healthily, and two large leather chairs were arranged opposite each other with a small table between them. On the table, there appeared to be a chess board with a game that looked to be in progress, along with two cups of tea, both still steaming. A hall led off one side of the room, and Harry assumed that it led to the Headmaster's study, bedroom, and bathroom.

"Was there someone else here just now?" Harry asked in a playful tone.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Not at all, Harry. You're the first visitor I've had all evening," he replied in a measured tone.

"You don't have to lie about it, Grandpa. Hermione and I both see it."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Harry. Now tell me about this dream of yours," Dumbledore said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"I think it would be better if we used your pensieve to view the dream again, that way we can analyze it better."

"An excellent idea, my boy," Dumbledore said as he fetched his pensieve. Harry put his wand to his temple and pulled out a short silver strand, as this was just a short memory. He then put it in the dish and the Headmaster and student dove in.

The two found themselves in a darkly lit room with only one door in. It appeared to be a dilapidated shack, lit only by the dim glow of candlelight. Cobwebs hung from the corners and there were several floorboards missing There was no way to tell where exactly they were though. There was one large chair in the middle of the room, but what was in the chair was shrouded in shadow.

"We can't tell what is there because you never directly saw it, Harry," Dumbledore explained. Suddenly, they head a floorboard creak, announcing the arrival of a newcomer.

"Ah, Lucius. What news do you have?" the shrouded figure asked.

"My lord, Wormtail has received the Dementor's kiss. Black has been freed by the Ministry and now has a position at Hogwarts," Lucius replied, bowing.

"That pathetic fool, Wormtail! I trust him with the most important task of any of you, and he gets himself caught!" the mystery voice said angrily.

"My lord, perhaps if you gave the assignment to another of your…more faithful followers-" Malfoy began.

"Crucio!" the voice declared, and Malfoy began to writhe painfully on the ground, his screams of agony piercing the air. After a few seconds, the spell was lifted. "Do not ever again tell me what to do, Lucius. Next time, I may not be so forgiving."

"My apologies, my lord," Lucius said, still kneeling as he had not yet recovered from the torture.

"Yes, Wormtail was useless. He was taking far too long with his project, encountering too many delays. Lucius, I am putting you in charge of his project. I want you to move up the timetable on it, and I want it finished by the summer, is that understood?"

"Perfectly, my lord."

"What news is there from Severus, Lucius?"

"He reports that it was the Potter brat who captured Pettigrew, my lord. Although he is not sure how that was accomplished, or how Potter was able to see through Pettigrew's animagus form. However, he has reported that he seems to have gained some of Potter's trust by appearing to mentor and train him."

"Excellent. You may rise now, Lucius. Remember, I want that mission completed no later than the beginning of Summer. If you fail, you shall face the same fate as Wormtail."

The memory ended and Harry and Dumbledore pulled out of the pensieve. Dumbledore walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, a look of deep concentration etched onto his face. "Harry, I need to know what happened around this time during your first life. If Pettigrew was working on something and his capture interrupted that, then odds are he was given that same project in the previous timeline," he said.

"Well, in my third year, Sirius escaped from Azkaban and came to look for me. Eventually we met in the Shrieking Shack with Professor Lupin, and we exposed Wormtail. There happened to be a full moon that night, and Remus transformed, and in the confusion, Wormtail escaped. We tried to escape from Remus, but Sirius and I later found ourselves under attack by a horde of Dementors. Just as we were about to succumb, we were saved by my future self, using a time-turner, casting a Patronus that drove the Dementors off. Hermione and I saved Sirius from being kissed and he went into hiding. That's the very basic outline of my third year.

In my fourth year, the Triwizard Tournament was held here at Hogwarts. I assume that it is in the planning stages now?" Dumbledore nodded. "The Goblet of Fire was tampered with by an escaped Death Eater using Polyjuice potion to pose as Alastor Moody, who you had hired to teach DADA that year. As a result of the tampering, I was chosen as a fourth champion, and was forced to compete. I managed to succeed in the first two events, but the third one was a maze with the Triwizard Cup in the center. Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion, and I, both arrived at the Cup at the same time and agreed to share the prize. Therefore, we both grabbed it at the same time.

The Cup was a portkey to the graveyard in Little Hangleton. When we arrived, Wormtail came out of a shack, carrying a child-like creature, which was what Voldemort had been reduced to. Wormtail killed Cedric before binding me to one of the grave markers. He then performed a ritual that involved combining the bones of Voldemort's father, Tom Riddle, Sr, the flesh of the servant, Wormtail, and the blood of the enemy, mine. In the end, the ritual allowed Voldemort to obtain a new body and have a physical form once again. He and I then dueled to a standstill caused by Priori Incantatum, which provided the distraction I needed to get back to the Cup and escape.

Is that it? Could Voldemort be giving Lucius the task of getting his body back?" Harry asked.

"It is possible, Harry. It is also possible that by changing how things happened, we have set into motion a series of events that we cannot begin to predict. Mr. Malfoy could be heading a project that is entirely unrelated to anything you remember before. For now, I suggest that you be very careful. Do not take any unnecessary risks, is that understood?" Harry nodded in response. The two then chatted aimlessly for a few moments before Harry excused himself to return to bed.

Harry left Dumbledore's chambers and made the trip back to Gryffindor tower, checking the Marauder's Map to avoid Filch or Mrs. Norris. When he stepped through the portrait hole, Harry found Hermione sitting on one of the couches in front of the fire in the common room. Not surprisingly, she had a book open before her. When she heard the portrait open, Hermione looked up to see Harry.

"Hey," she greeted simply.

"Hey back," Harry said with a small smile. "What're you still doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. Something was keeping me from getting to sleep, so I thought I would come down here and calm my mind by reading. Where were you?" she asked as Harry sat down next to her. Hermione closed her book and put her head on Harry's shoulder.

"I had a vision in my sleep. It was like I was inside Voldemort's mind and could see everything he could. He and Lucius were planning something. But I'm not completely sure what. It might be an attempt to give Voldemort a body again like during the Triwizard Tournament, but we aren't certain. He told me to keep my eyes open and stay alert, for in this case, we're not sure how things are going to play out." The two sat there in silence, Harry stroking Hermione's hair.

"Oh! But I did find out something interesting tonight. Grandpa and a certain Transfiguration professor…"

"No…" Hermione gasped.

"Yep, they're an item," Harry confirmed. "They've been trying to go about it in secret. Haven't been doing a very good job, have they?"

"Nope…" Hermione smiled as she closed her eyes. Harry did the same, and within minutes, both were asleep on the couch in the common room.

* * *

Harry awoke the next morning to see a bushy brown blur obscuring his vision. Slowly allowing his eyes to gain focus, he realized that he and Hermione had fallen asleep together on the couch in the common room. Panicking, Harry glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was just before six in the morning. None of the other Gryffindors should be up yet.

"Hermione," Harry whispered in her ear. Hermione just moaned and snuggled closer into Harry's shoulder. "Hermione, we need to get up."

"Just a few more minutes…" she said sleepily.

"Hermione, McGonagall's here. She said you failed your last Transfiguration exam."

Hermione jerked her head up, fully alert, causing Harry to break out in laughter. Realizing that the Professor was not there, Hermione slapped Harry on the side of his head in mock anger. "We've got to get ready," Harry explained. "Everyone else will be getting up soon. I know its Saturday, but breakfast will be starting in an hour."

Harry and Hermione separated and headed to their respective dormitories. A half hour later, they both met back up in the common room, showered and dressed, ready for the day. The two sat talking in the common room for another fifteen minutes about inconsequential things before leaving. It would take about fifteen more minutes to get down to the Great Hall.

Once in the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione met up with Draco, completing the triumvirate. All three sat down at the Gryffindor table. For meals other than former feasts, there was no rule against mixed house arrangements at the tables.

As Harry was loading his plate with eggs and bacon, Hermione tried to make conversation. "So, Draco, have you finished your homework for History of Magic yet?"

Draco rolled his eyes and finished chewing before he spoke. "Honestly, no. I mean, it's about the Goblin Wars…again. Which one is it this time? I swear, that class makes you think that the only wars ever fought were with goblins. At least while I take that class I can stay up later at night and catch up on my sleeping in class."

Hearing this, Hermione transformed into her alter-ego, which Harry had taken to calling Lecture-tron. "Honestly, if you actually paid attention in that class, you would learn that there are many differences between the wars. You know what they say, 'Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.' Is that what you want? And maybe the reason your grade is so bad in that class is because you sleep through it. If you paid half the attention in there that you do to the average Quidditch match, you would have an O easily."

Harry chuckled inwardly. This was the Hermione he knew and loved. But he could tell that Draco didn't agree with one of those sentiments.

"But why do they have to assign homework so close to Christmas break?" Draco whined. "It's only a few days until we leave. We should just have some time off of homework as a present from the school!"

Hermione, fed up with arguing with Draco over schoolwork, turned to Harry. "Harry, would you like to come to the library with me later so that we can get all of our homework done before we leave?" She nodded for him, indicating that he had no choice. It was one of the many things he had come to accept about having a girlfriend. If she wanted something, she got it. _Not that it's a bad thing,_ Harry thought.

"Sure, Mione, I'd love to," Harry said with more enthusiasm than was necessary.

Two hours later found Harry and Hermione in the library finishing their homework, much to Harry's disappointment. So far, Hermione hadn't given any indication that they were here for any other reason.

"Harry, we are going to visit my parents over Christmas, right?" she asked. They had yet to visit Potter Manor since they sent her parents there a few days prior.

"Of course we are. I wanted to spend Christmas with the only family I know. I was also thinking we could invite Grandpa as well, and see if he has any…special guests he wants to bring. By the way, I was thinking of starting a certain project after the new year," Harry said in a quieter voice.

"What's that, Harry?" Hermione asked, suddenly more interested. Any mention of special projects got her extremely excited.

Harry looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone around. "We need to destroy the Horcruxes. I know we waited until our seventh year last time, but I think we should do it earlier. We have no idea what is in store for us this time around, so we need every advantage we can get."

"Good idea, Harry. Since we already know where all of the Horcruxes are at, it should be easier to find and destroy them this time. Well, all of them except Hufflepuff's Cup. We would still have to break into Gringotts to get that one. But you didn't use Gryffindor's sword to kill the basilisk this time. So we're going to have to use the venom to destroy all of the remaining Horcruxes this time."

The pair soon finished their work, allowing themselves to have a carefree Christmas holiday. The final few days of the fall term passed uneventfully. Harry and Hermione both found their final exams very easy, even potions. Harry had never been particularly gifted in potions, but his newfound success in the class he attributed to a teacher who was actually willing to help him now.

The day before the Hogwarts Express was to leave with the students returning home for the holidays, Harry and Hermione ran into Dumbledore in the hall.

"Professor, Hermione and I are heading to my home at Potter Manor for Christmas. We were wondering if you would like to join us?" Harry asked.

"I'd be delighted to, Harry. I never get to spend as much time away from school during the holidays as I'd like. Should I bring anything?" the Headmaster replied.

This was the perfect opening for Harry. "Well, if there was _someone_ you'd like to bring, by all means invite them. But I think we have everything covered food-wise."

Dumbledore blushed at Harry's insinuation, which was a rare sight. But he nodded and proceeded down the corridor. Harry and Hermione shared a laugh at their Headmaster's expense before heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

* * *

The next morning, the Hogwarts Express left Hogsmeade station with most of the students of Hogwarts aboard. However, there were two that were conspicuously missing. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had not boarded the train, and were both still asleep in their dormitories. At about nine in the morning, Hermione woke and after regaining her mental faculties, went to the boys dormitories to rouse Harry.

"Harry, it's time to get up. We have to leave soon," she said. "Mum and dad are expecting us at ten."

Harry turned over and pretended not to hear her. Hermione took this as a challenge and jumped on top of the blanket-covered Boy-Who-Lived. Harry let out a yelp as she landed on him, tickling him until he relented and pushed Hermione off of him, getting out of bed.

"Honestly, is that any way to treat the savior of the wizarding world?" Harry asked in an air of mock importance. He puffed out his chest for emphasis.

"Sorry, your saviorliness," Hermione apologized, hiding her giggle behind her hand.

Harry and Hermione showered and got dressed. They had packed the night before with the rest of the students. But since they were not taking the Hogwarts Express, they had not bothered to get up on time and instead had a bit of a lie in. Grabbing their possessions, Harry pulled out two pendants from the box he had been given at Gringotts. He noticed that there were six more in the box, making for a total of ten once the two given to the Grangers were counted. The two then made their way out of the castle and to the edge of the wards. Then they put on the pendants and touched them with their wands, uttering "Potter Manor," before disappearing.

Harry and Hermione appeared in front of a large wrought-iron gate with two giant P's, one on each gate. As Harry walked up to the gate, it magically opened, detecting his magical signature as a Potter. Behind the gate, the couple saw a long gravel walk that led to a massive manor home. The house itself was dark gray with white trim, and had four visible stories with several balconies on the front. There were also two wings that were attached, one on each side of the house, which were obvious expansions that had been added over the years. Harry and Hermione climbed the several steps leading to the massive double doors at the front of the house. Harry raised his hand to grab the knocker on the door, but as he touched it, the door opened in front of him.

Inside, the two found a large staircase that took up a good portion of the foyer. To the right they saw a formal sitting room, and to the left, a formal dining room. Two halls extended farther into the home, one on each side of the staircase. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Dan and Emma walked down one of the halls and wrapped the two children in a hug. Dan took Harry's hand in a crushing grip and muttered in his ear "Later tonight, we talk." Harry gulped and smiled like nothing had been said. Despite the fact that he was twenty two years old mentally, he was still quite intimidated by Hermione's father.

After introductions had been made, Dobby appeared and showed Harry and Hermione to their rooms on the third floor. Hermione was shown first, and was given a spacious room in a light blue color. There was a large four poster bed in the middle of the room, as well as an adjoining bathroom and large walk-in closet. Dobby placed Hermione's trunk in the room before continuing down the hall to show Harry to his quarters.

Harry's room, or rooms, were a far cry from Hermione's. As Lord Potter, he was given the master suite, complete with its own sitting room, study, bathroom, and a bedroom that was twice as large as Hermione's. Harry marveled at the fact that this was all his, he had never visited this house after claiming his lordship in his previous life.

Having explored their rooms, Harry and Hermione returned downstairs and visited with Dan and Emma, catching the two of them up on their term so far. Harry also floo called over to Grimmauld Place and asked Sirius to join them for Christmas three days hence. He did the same to Remus at Hogwarts, then reminded Dumbledore that he could bring a guest by the same method.

Later that evening, Dan pulled Harry into a large study on the second floor. It was right down the hall from the library that neither Harry nor Hermione had visited yet. Dan sat down behind the desk that faced the door, motioning for Harry to sit down on the other side of the desk. Harry found it ironic that he was being offered a seat in _his_ study in _his_ house, but he didn't give it much thought. What Harry did give thought to was the fact that the golf club he had been threatened with a year before was sitting on the desk in front of him. After staring at the club for what seemed like an eternity, Harry was brought back to attention by Dan clearing his throat.

"Now Harry, I noticed that you and my daughter have gotten rather…friendly… of late. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Um, what is it you wanted to know, sir?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"Exactly how far have the two of you gone?" Dan asked.

_Merlin, the man really does know how to get straight to the point, _Harry thought. "Um, sir, I'm not sure that you want to know about that."

Dan's eyes narrowed and his mouth seemed to disappear. Harry began to panic. "No, not like that! We haven't done that! I just thought that Hermione might kill me if she knew I told you about us."

"And why is that, Harry?" Dan asked, his lips still pursed.

"Because we sort of heard about yours and Emma's bet…we wanted to keep it a secret until after this year had passed. That way, neither of you would win," Harry answered honestly.

Dan gave a hearty laugh before getting up out of his chair. "Is that all?" he asked in a friendly tone, laughter still in his voice. He came up behind Harry and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. Harry instantly felt relieved. "And here I thought it was something bad. Looks like I win though, as I bet you would be together this year." He paused before he knelt down and got close to Harry's ear.

"Now exactly how far have you gone with my daughter?" he whispered in Harry's ear, this time in a dangerous tone. Harry knew he had been had.

"Just some kisses, sir," Harry answered sheepishly. He knew his chances of leaving the room alive were dropping by the second. "That, and Hermione has fallen asleep on my shoulder a few times. But that's it, honest." Dan stood back up and walked back around the desk, picking up the golf club and twirling it in his hands.

"And just where do you want this relationship to go, young man?" Now Harry knew he was in trouble. He had never been referred to as 'young man.' But to this question, Harry already had an answer.

"Marriage, sir."

"Dammit, Harry. I keep forgetting you are older than you look. You have to understand. I can deal with a teenager who is interested in my daughter, but you-you have the mind of someone much older, and that makes you harder to deal with. I guess I can't get used to the possibility of my thirteen year old daughter ever getting married."

Now this was a change in tone that shocked Harry. Dan had just gone from the threatening father of the girlfriend to what almost seemed like a father-in-law. "Dan, sir, we're not considering it yet. I mean, we plan on getting married, someday, when we are physically old enough. Yes we are nine years older mentally, but society would frown on us being married at our current physical age. We're not going to rush into _anything_," Harry explained, emphasizing the last word. His point got across, and Dan nodded appreciatively. He then put down the golf club.

"Well now, enough of that. It's really hard playing the intimidating father all the time, especially to someone like you Harry, someone who I trust implicitly. I also wanted to thank you again for the use of your house. It's been really great, but sometimes I feel as though I'm cooped up in here. I know that if we leave, we'll be in danger, but still…"

Harry knew exactly what he meant, but didn't say anything. The gears were already turning in his head. Harry and Dan continued to chat for a while before Harry left to go look for Hermione. He found her in the library. The library was a massive, two story room complete with a pair of spiral staircases leading up to the second floor. One wall was taken up by a large hearth with a roaring fire in it, as well as several great chairs sitting in front of it. Above the fireplace there was a huge portrait of Harry, with a plate underneath it saying 'Lord Potter.' It was a magical painting that changed whenever a new Potter took the title of Lord.

Hermione was on the second floor of the library, sitting on the floor with a book spread across her crossed legs. Harry sat down next to her to see that she was reading a book on animagus transformations. "Wanting to try the transformation?" Harry asked, startling Hermione. She apparently hadn't noticed him.

"Umm…maybe. I always thought it would be interesting. I just wanted to see what was involved. What about you? Where have you been?"

"Let's just say that your dad knows, and that he won the bet." Harry said simply. "But he brought up an issue that has me thinking. We need to find a way for your parents to defend themselves. Against magic, I mean. Without a means to defend themselves, your parents will have to stay inside indefinitely."

Hermione sat, thinking for a few minutes. She then got up and went to another section of the library. Harry followed her and found her perusing the section on magical potential. He knew he wouldn't hear another word out of her for several hours, so Harry excused himself to his room to read.

At about ten that night, just as Harry was about to turn in, Hermione came bursting into his room, an old and dusty tome held tightly under one arm. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. Harry turned to face her, his nightshirt clutched in one hand. Hermione, in her excitement had forgotten to knock, and was only now noticing Harry's state of undress. A blush crept into her cheeks as she turned around. Fortunately, Harry was only missing his shirt, instead of more important garments.

"It's okay, Hermione, we're both adults here. Well, sort of. But you can turn around now," Harry said.

Hermione turned around to find Harry had put the shirt on and was now sitting on the edge of his bed. "Now what have you got?" he asked.

"I've got a way to help my parents," she said, offering the book to him. Harry opened the book to the page with a bookmark in it and began to read.

"Wouldn't this be considered dark?" he asked skeptically.

"Not at all. It just hasn't been used in years. This is actually really light magic. It was used in the medical field more than anything else, but it eventually fell into disuse and hasn't been used in more than three hundred years," Hermione explained in her usual bookish demeanor.

"This could work…" Harry began. "And I've just got an idea for another Christmas present for your parents." Harry stood and walked over to the fireplace in his room. "Albus Dumbledore," he called.

* * *

Three days later found Harry waking groggily and throwing his feet over the side of his bed, he put on his slippers. Harry then padded downstairs to find that Hermione and her parents had already waken, and were sitting in the kitchen. As Harry sat down at the table, Dobby appeared carrying a tray with a variety of breakfast favorites. The group dug in, thanking Dobby for his work. Despite her feelings on house-elf slavery, Hermione was still able to enjoy a good meal.

The four human occupants of Potter Manor showered and dressed for the day, and waited for their guests to arrive. At noon, the fireplace in the formal sitting room flared up and Remus Lupin strode out. He greeted everyone warmly before Sirius tumbled out of the fireplace a few minutes later.

"Hey there, cub. Nice place you've got here," he commented, looking around. The group adjourned to the family room, which was situated just off of the kitchen. This room was less formal than the sitting room, and was where they had placed the fresh Christmas tree they had cut down on the grounds the day before. Dobby brought everyone some hot cocoa and Harry and Hermione caught Sirius up on events, as he was the one who was in the least contact with everyone else.

As they were talking, nobody noticed the sound of the floo flaring up again in the other room, but they all noticed when two figures walked into the family room. Harry looked up to see Dumbledore, and he rose to greet him. As Dumbledore came into the room, he was followed by a certain Minerva McGonagall.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," Dumbledore greeted. "I took the liberty of inviting Professor McGonagall, as Harry said that I could invite anyone I wanted."

As Harry hugged Dumbledore, he whispered to him. "Is that the only reason, Grandpa?"

Dumbledore's face flushed, but he didn't answer. Instead he took a seat with McGonagall next to him, and Dobby reappeared with two more steaming cups of cocoa. After a short session of pointless conversation, it was time to open gifts. Harry knelt down by the tree and took the role of the one who would pass them out.

Harry passed his gift to Remus first. He had given him a small doghouse with the word "Moony" on a sign over the door. "If you enlarge it, it's large enough to hold you during your transformation each month. It is also charmed to not let you out before the full moon is up," Harry explained. Remus chuckled at the gift before pocketing it and thanking Harry.

Next up was Harry's gift to Sirius, which was just a simple envelope. Sirius opened it and read the letter inside. As he was reading, his eyes widened and began to moisten, so Harry explained what he had given him to the rest of the group.

"Normally, Gringotts doesn't allow a convict to accept the title of lord of a family line. Even though Sirius was found innocent in the end, there will always be a stain on his record. I called in a few favors and got his record expunged. While there is still the public stigma against you, as far as the ministry is concerned, Sirius you were never convicted. That being the case, you can claim your position as Lord Black, as well as a number of positions that were never available to you before."

Sirius gave Harry a long hug. The young man had given him back the last remnants of the life he had had before Azkaban, and for that he was thankful.

Harry then passed out his gifts to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Each received a stuffed toy. Dumbledore received one of a tabby cat, while McGonagall received one that looked remarkably like Dumbledore. Both looked at each other and blushed before thanking Harry. Hermione leaned over to Harry and whispered in his ear.

"How long do you think it will take them to finally admit it to everyone?" she asked.

"Actually, I think we should stop talking. It looks like Grandpa has an announcement to make," Harry replied.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to speak. "It appears that a certain young man here is more perceptive than we give him credit for. Minerva and I have an announcement to make. Yes, Harry, its true. We've been secretly seeing each other for a little almost two years now. But as it would appear…unprofessional, we never admitted it in public. But I think that the time for secrecy is over." Dumbledore then pulled a small box with a bow on it from his robes and knelt down in front of McGonagall. "Minerva McGonagall, will you marry me?" he asked hopefully. The Transfiguration professor looked at Dumbledore with tearful eyes and nodded. The Headmaster then took a large ring out of the box and placed it on her finger, signifying their engagement. There was not a dry eye in the room, and everyone congratulated the new couple on their impending nuptials.

Harry, though happy, looked a little crestfallen. "Hermione, my next gift is for you, but given what just happened, it lacks some of its impact," he began. Harry then pulled out a small box, not unlike the one Dumbledore had just used. He opened it in front of Hermione. "This is a promise ring. I know we are older in mind than in body, but when we are old enough, I want you to be my wife." Hermione began to cry and embraced Harry tightly before giving him a long, sensuous kiss on his lips. There was a round of applause from the others in the room, and a catcall from Sirius. _He'll never grow up,_ Harry thought.

Harry then returned to the pile of gifts under the tree. He pulled out two envelopes and handed them to Dan and Emma. "Now before you open these, I just wanted to say that they are from both Hermione and I. Now you can see what we're giving you."

Dan and Emma ripped open the envelopes to each find one small slip of paper inside. On that paper was written only one word.

**Magic**

They both looked at each other quizzically before seeing that Harry and Hermione were exchanging proud looks on their faces.

"I'm not sure I understand," Emma said.

"Well," Harry began, "Dan and I had a chat the other night in which he said that he felt cooped up in this house, as you two had no way to defend yourselves. I took this as a challenge and brought it to Hermione. Through some research, we found a way for you two to defend yourself. This is what we are giving you."

"Magic?" Dan asked incredulously.

Harry nodded. "That's right. We found a way to transfer magic from one person to another. It used to be used as a medical procedure to strengthen one person and keep them from dying, but it fell out of use centuries ago. Hermione and I think that it could be adapted to transfer some of our magic to you, giving you magical abilities. Grandpa agreed with our assessment."

"Harry, Hermione, as much as this gift means to us, we don't want you to go sacrificing your abilities for us. You need them more than we do," Emma objected.

This time, the rebuttal didn't come from Harry or Hermione, but from Remus. He just laughed at the objection. "Harry and Hermione have three times the power of the average witch or wizard. Even if they gave you the same amount of power as the average magical person, they would still have more magical potential than Professor Dumbledore here or even Voldemort." Remus shuddered at the last name.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?" Dan asked. "I mean, this is a big decision. I believe I speak for both Emma and myself when I say that we're okay with this, as it wouldn't affect our lives outside of the magical world. It would only allow us to get to know your world better. But the question is, are you okay with this?"

"Absolutely, Dan," Harry answered. "You heard Remus, this would just be a drop in the bucket. And it is more than worth it if you are able to defend yourselves against magic. We even talked with Grandpa here. He said that if we do this, he could get a waiver for the two of you to join us at Hogwarts next year so that you could learn to control your powers, provided we catch you up to our year." Dan and Emma looked at Dumbledore for confirmation at this last point. He nodded happily.

"Okay then. When could we do this?" Dan asked, suddenly as excited as a kid in a toy store. Harry chuckled.

"How about later tonight? Grandpa will have to be the one to perform the spell, as Hermione and I will be part of it."

"Sounds good to us," Emma said. "We've always been interested in the life you two live away from home. This looks like our chance to finally find out what it's like."

The rest of Christmas day passed smoothly. After opening the rest of the gifts, the party settled in the formal dining room to a large Christmas dinner, courtesy of Dobby. Later in the evening, Remus and Sirius departed, leaving only the Grangers, Harry, Dumbledore, and McGonagall.

The smaller group moved up to the library on the second floor as it was a large, open space perfect for the ritual they were about to perform. Hermione pulled out the dusty tome and turned to the correct page on power sharing spells. She then handed the book over to Dumbledore, who looked it over briefly.

"Now there may be some pain involved for all four of you. Most of the pain will be felt by the elder Grangers," Dumbledore explained, looking at Dan and Emma. "This is simply because your genetic structure is being rewritten, and you in essence, growing a new magical core. Harry and Hermione will feel a slight amount of pain, but it will be due to the fact that they are losing some of their power. Hermione, please take your mother's hand, while Harry, please take Mr. Granger's."

The two students did as they were told, and Dumbledore closed his eyes and pulled out his wand. He began to make a series of complex wand movements in the air, while repeating an incantation.

"Magice transferre quinquaginta," he said.

Suddenly, all four participants in the spell collapsed in a heap on the ground. Dan and Emma were convulsing while Harry and Hermione laid still. After a moment, the convulsing stopped, and the four figures on the ground regained consciousness. Dumbledore and McGonagall helped them up and into the chairs in the library.

"Do you feel any different?" Harry asked wearily. The spell had taken a toll on Harry and Hermione. While there was little pain inflicted, they were extremely tired after having a third of their power taken away.

"Not really," Dan responded, "but I do feel a little tingly." Emma confirmed that she felt the same way as well.

Harry pulled out his wand from jeans pocket and handed it to Dan. "This won't be a perfect match, but we might as well try it. Hold it in your writing hand and say 'lumos.'" Harry instructed.

Dan took hold of the wand and did as he was told. "Lumos." Instantly, the tip of the wand glowed and Harry and Hermione shared a smile. It had worked. Dan then handed the wand to Emma, who repeated the test. It too worked for her.

Dumbledore then performed the final test. He pointed his wand at Dan. "Vires Aperire," he said. Instantly a large number 50 appeared next to Dan. "This spell shows the magical power of a witch or wizard. It operates on a scale of one to one hundred. The average score is a fifty, which is what you scored. In other words, you should have the same magical potential as most of wizarding Britain," Dumbledore explained. He then performed the same spell on Emma, who also scored a 50.

Dumbledore then turned to the exhausted Harry and Hermione. "Vires Aperire," he uttered, and a large golden 150 appeared next to Harry's head. The same appeared next to Hermione when she was tested.

"Impossible," Dumbledore and McGonagall muttered at the same time.

"You just gave up a third of your magic power, but yet your score remains the same. How is that possible?" McGonagall asked. Lupin had told her and Dumbledore about the results of the test when he had performed it in his class earlier in the year.

"I believe, Minerva," Dumbledore began, "that their powers really are derived from two of the Founders themselves. As the result of being the magical heirs of such powerful witches and wizards, their magic replenishes itself at an alarming rate. I daresay that if wounded, these two would heal remarkably quickly as their magic would take over to heal the body."

Harry and Hermione were in shock. They knew they were powerful, but this was almost equivalent to having unlimited power. Harry, as usual, was his reserved, humble self.

"Awesome!" he cried. The others just smiled at him and then began to laugh. The mood in the air was light as Dumbledore and McGonagall bade the others good night and used the floo to return to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione, who were still exhausted, decided to call it a night and turned in, knowing that the next day would be a busy one.

* * *

The next day, Harry and Hermione took the Grangers to Diagon Alley for their first real introduction to the magical world as witch and wizard. Every sight and sound seemed to take on new meaning for Dan and Emma as they were now part of this world. Granted, they still had their lives back in the muggle world, but for now that was forgotten as they wanted to learn as much about their new lives as possible.

Their first stop was Ollivander's wand shop. The bell over the door rang as the quartet entered, and Harry chuckled as, once again, Mr. Ollivander peeked his head around one of his shelves to greet his customers. It seemed as though the old shopkeeper hid from his customers as they came in.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, how nice to see you again. And who have you brought with you this time?" he asked.

"These are my parents, Dan and Emma Granger. They need their first wands," Hermione answered.

"First wands?" Mr. Ollivander queried.

"It's a long story," Harry replied curtly. He didn't want too many questions asked.

"I see," the old man said somewhat suspiciously. "No matter. Why don't we try this one first for the missus?" he suggested, pulling down a long box from the shelf.

The entire ordeal took almost an hour, but after several dozen wand testings, both adult Grangers had their own wands that were suited to them. Emma had a ten inch oak with unicorn hair, while Dan had an eleven and a half inch holly with dragon heartstring. Harry paid for the wands as well as a holster for each before they left the shop.

The group was only planning on making three stops for the day. Their second was Gringotts, where Dan and Emma opened a vault in their own name. Harry then transferred fifty thousand galleons to their vault when they weren't paying attention. He just considered it another part of their Christmas present. Satisfied with the fact that they now existed in the financial part of the wizarding world, the Grangers and their escorts made their way to their final destination, Flourish and Blotts.

Previous visits to the book store had been extremely boring for Dan and Harry. But this time, the former was as excited as possible. He was busy looking over every book he could get his hands on, and Emma wasn't much better. Now Harry could really see where Hermione got her bookish tendencies.

In the end, they settled on several books, including _Household Spells for Beginners_, _101 Easy Offensive and Defensive Spells_, and _Your Guide to the Magical World_. Harry also promised that they could have full access to his library at the Manor as well as the books he had bought for himself during his previous visits to Diagon Alley.

By the time they were done with their short shopping trip, it was just past noon. All four members of the group tapped their wands to their pendants and returned to Potter Manor. As soon as they arrived, Dan and Emma retired to the library to begin working on improving their magical skills. Harry and Hermione, meanwhile, wrote a note and stuck in on the kitchen counter before walking over to the fireplace. They each grabbed a handful of floo powder before throwing it down and announcing their destination: Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Harry and Hermione arrived in the gloomy halls of the Black ancestral home with a mission. Christmas had passed, and now they were ready to start on their task of destroying the Horcruxes. The two had discussed earlier that it would be foolish to go to the cave where the fake version of Slytherin's locket was hidden. There was really no reason to, as they knew that it had been hidden at Grimmauld place for years.

As soon as they entered the hall, they heard the screeching begin.

"Filthy mudblood! Halfblood dirt! How dare you infect the honorable House of Black with your unnatural freakishness! Kreacher! Remove these vermin at once!" the portrait of Walburga Black. Harry placed a silencing charm on the portrait to keep it quiet. At the commotion, Sirius came running into the hall, wand at the ready. Seeing that it was just Harry and Hermione, he sheathed his wand and greeted them. Suddenly, Kreacher appeared to remove the two visitors.

"Kreacher, you will leave these two alone. They will be treated like guests in this house, is that understood?" Sirius commanded.

"Yes. Traitorous master wishes to associate with halfbloods and mudbloods. Kreacher will obey master," the old house-elf intoned. The creature turned to leave the hall, but Harry called out to him.

"Kreacher! Your old master, Regulus, left you a locket. Where is it hidden?" Harry asked. He knew where the locket was several years in the future, but it may be in a different location in the house at this point.

"Kreacher does not answer to filthy parasites who infest the House of Black and disturb mistress's slumber," Kreacher replied bitterly.

"You will answer him, Kreacher, or you will find yourself being handed clothes!" Sirius roared.

Instead of answering, Kreacher walked into the Black family library, which rivaled the one at Potter Manor, and pulled an unassuming book off of one of the shelves. It turned out to be hollow, and from it, Kreacher pulled Salazar Slytherin's locket. He then handed it to Harry, and disappeared with a pop, without any closing remark.

"What's so fascinating about that locket, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"This is one of Voldemort's Horcruxes," Harry explained. "Right now we know of six, seven if you include the one in my head that has been destroyed. We also destroyed one last year, leaving only five. We just need to destroy this one to get down to four. Since we know where all of them are, we can get to them right now with relative ease, making the upcoming fight against Voldemort that much easier. But if you'll excuse us, we have to get this to Grandpa right away. Sorry we can't stay and chat, Sirius."

With that, Harry and Hermione returned to the fireplace and used it to travel to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore's office.

The floo spat them out right next to the Headmaster's desk, and he looked up in surprise when he heard them tumble out of the hearth. "Harry, Miss Granger, what an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you this afternoon?"

"Grandpa, this is another one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. You remember that we destroyed one when we destroyed the diary last year. Well, he made seven of them, including myself. The one inside me was destroyed when I was sent back, and minus the diary, he is down to five. Hermione and I can get to two more, in addition to this locket, with relative ease, today even. We just need to go down to the Chamber to use the fangs down there."

Dumbledore rose from his seat. "Then I shall accompany you, Harry. As much as I trust you with this task, I would be remiss in my responsibilities as both your Headmaster and Great-Grandfather if I allowed you two to do this alone."

With that, the trio left the office. Before they went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they went to the seventh floor and the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Harry walked in front of the tapestry three times, wishing that he had a place to hide something. Soon, the door materialized, and the three walked inside. What they found looked to be a storage room of sorts. Harry looked around for a few moments before he yelped out a "Eureka," and raised Ravenclaw's Diadem. After explaining that this was another Horcrux, the trio then made their way down to the Chamber of Secrets.

In the year that had passed since they had killed the basilisk, it appeared as though the carcass had not deteriorated at all. Carefully, Harry pulled out one of the fangs, and found that it came out easily. He then placed the two Horcruxes on the ground in front of him before proceeding to stab the locket first, followed by the diadem. As he stabbed each, an earsplitting scream erupted from the objects, indicating that the evil spirit within was being destroyed.

With these two Horcruxes destroyed, there were only three remaining. Harry and his companions returned to the surface and walked the empty halls of Hogwarts discussing their next move.

"Tom will discover quickly that those two Horcruxes have been destroyed," Dumbledore said. "We should move quickly to capture what other ones we can as soon as possible."

Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement. "There is only one other that we have immediate access to, and that is the Gaunt Ring. It's located in the Gaunt Shack in Little Hangleton, and we can go there after we are done here just to get it out of the way. But the others are in more difficult locations. Hufflepuff's Cup is in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts, while Nagini, Voldemort's familiar, is always with him. For now, those two are untouchable. Not without a better plan at least," Harry explained in a resigned tone.

"Well, if we can at least get the Ring today, that is one more that we don't have to destroy later," Hermione said in an optimistic way. Harry and Dumbledore offered their agreement. The small group left the confines of the castle and walked to the edge of the wards. Harry, since he was technically of age and knew how to apparate from his previous lifetime, had Hermione grab his arm. Dumbledore would go on his own. With two small pops, the trio disapparated.

They reappeared outside of a run-down shack in the woods. Harry could see that the door was almost falling off of its hinges, and that on the door, the carcass of a long-dead snake hung. Dumbledore went first, pushing the door open and walking inside, wand first. Hermione followed, and Harry brought up the rear. Dumbledore cast a silent Lumos to illuminate the interior of the shack. They found themselves inside what appeared to be just a one-roomed building, but it was a reasonably sized room.

Instantly, Harry began to tear up the floorboards, looking for the golden box that allegedly contained the Gaunt Ring. A few minutes and a large pile of discarded wood later, Harry had found the box. Carefully, he removed it from its hiding place and placed it on a dilapidated table in the corner of the room.

"Grandpa, I hate to do this to you, but I have to ask that you do not touch this Horcrux. While this is technically the Gaunt Ring, the stone on the ring is actually the Resurrection Stone. I know how you have searched for years for the Stone, but I must deny it to you. Using it would only bring agony to the dead, and we both know that is not what you want. You wouldn't be doing your sister any favors by bringing her back to suffer," Harry admitted.

Dumbledore gave a sigh as his only response. True, he had wanted the stone to try to bring his sister back, but there was no way he would do it if it would only cause her pain.

Harry then opened the box to verify that the ring was indeed there. As he did so, the shack began to shake violently. Large pieces of the roof began to cave in, and the walls erupted spontaneously in flames. Turning towards the door, they found that it was back in place and would not budge. Not even an unlocking charm would open it. Harry grabbed Hermione and attempted to apparate out of the building, but he found that he could not. Using his wand, Dumbledore fired a powerful Reducto curse at one of the walls. Fortunately, they had not been reinforced and the curse blew a large hole out of the wall. Yelling at Harry and Hermione to follow him, Dumbledore led the way out of the hole into the safety of the forest.

The trio turned around to see the shack collapse behind them and quickly burn into nothing as the might of the magically enhanced flames. Breathing a sigh of relief, they then apparated back to Hogwarts.

Making one last trip down to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore used another one of the basilisk's fangs to destroy the Gaunt Ring, ridding the world of another of Voldemort's Horcruxes. It was as they were accomplishing this task that Hermione had one of her ideas.

"Professor, exactly how strong is basilisk hide?" she asked. Harry would have thought that she would already know the answer, but apparently not.

"Well, it is roughly twice as durable as dragon hide. Basilisk hide is an extremely valuable material that is used for armor. But since there are very few basilisks that are killed, such armor is very rare."

"What would it take to get this one made into armor for ourselves?" Hermione pressed. Now Harry was following her logic.

"Just yourselves, Miss Granger? There is enough hide here to protect a small army. But to answer your question, I know of a shop in Knockturn Alley that specializes in producing armor. I will call in a few favors and maybe they can tackle the task for you. Perhaps they will take a small amount of the hide as compensation?" the Headmaster replied. "I will take care of it and get back to you in due time."

The group then left the Chamber, but Harry had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as they walked. "Does anyone feel as though this was too easy?" he asked.

"Well, it was pretty easy, Harry. But there was that booby trap on the Shack. Other than that, though, it seems as though the Horcruxes were not well protected. I have a feeling that once Voldemort finds out we destroyed three of his Horcruxes today, he will move the other two to safer locations to keep us from getting to them," Hermione offered.

After arriving in the Headmaster's office, the couple said farewell to Dumbledore and returned to Potter Manor, where they found Dan and Emma still engrossed in their reading, even several hours later. They hadn't even left the library to find the note that Harry and Hermione had left.

* * *

The last few days of Christmas break passed far too quickly for Harry's liking. But not too quickly for Hermione's. As the beginning of January arrived, it was time to bid goodbye to the Grangers. Harry and Hermione promised that they would return for summer, but it was unlikely that they would be able to visit until then. But they reassured the adults that they would keep in contact with them via the mirrors.

Harry and Hermione arrived on the grounds of Hogwarts a short time after the other students had returned. Pulling their trunks along behind them, the duo walked towards Gryffindor tower. It was then that Harry realized something.

"You know, I just realized that with all the changes that have happened, it looks as though I won't get my Firebolt like last time," he mused. "I really liked that broom…"

"Harry, you have a perfectly good broom in your Nimbus 2000. You don't need the newest and best thing all the time. Honestly, you're worse than my dad with cars!" Hermione chastised.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I really liked that Firebolt…" Hermione rolled her eyes. _Boys and their toys, _she thought.

* * *

Spring term was extremely quiet for the Trio. All three, Harry, Hermione, and Draco found their classes to be quite easy, especially with Hermione hounding them on their studying. True to their word, Harry and Hermione contacted the Grangers every week using their mirrors to catch them up on the latest happenings. The Grangers told the two children that Sirius had been coming by every few days to teach them some of the basics of magic as well as some spells. The goal was to get them caught up on the basics so that they would be ready to enter fourth year with Harry and Hermione.

One night in March, Harry was just falling asleep when his perspective changed. Once again he was in a run-down building sitting in a chair. The lone door to the room opened to reveal a figure that Harry recognized.

"Ah, Bellatrix, my most faithful servant," Harry heard himself say involuntarily. "I see that those worthless fools managed to break you out of Azkaban."

"That they did, my lord. But not without one of them being captured," Lestrange responded, bowing before Harry.

"Now, Bella, I have an important task for you. It appears as though several of my most prized possessions have been destroyed by the Potter brat and his cohorts. I need you to go to your vault and retrieve the Cup that I gave you before. Do this, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and…Crucio!" Harry felt himself cast the curse on Bellatrix. She writhed on the floor for a few moments before Harry released the spell.

"Now get up and get to work," Harry commanded.

"Yes my lord," Lestrange responded, leaving the room, still shaking from the effects of the Cruciatis curse.

Harry awoke drenched in sweat and glanced at his clock. It was only eleven o'clock at night. Sighing, Harry turned over and tried to fall back asleep, promising himself that he would see Dumbledore about his vision first thing in the morning.

The next morning, Harry told Dumbledore about his vision, but Dumbledore had nothing to offer other than suggest that Harry keep looking to these visions for clues as to what Voldemort planned to do with his two remaining Horcruxes. Frustrated at the lack of help he had just received, Harry went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, where he met Hermione and explained everything he had seen the night before.

Before anyone realized it, final exams were upon the students of Hogwarts. Hermione had forced Harry and Draco to study hard for the tests, despite the fact that she and Harry had already taken them. In the end, all three felt very good about how they had done, with the exception of Harry and Draco in History of Magic. Once again, neither of them had bothered to put any effort into that class.

A few days before school was to let out, the Trio was sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast. There were no classes for the rest of the term, as exams were over. That left several days of free time for the students to enjoy themselves. As they were eating, owls began to swoop into the Great Hall carrying an assortment of mail and packages for the students. Just as the owls began to leave the Hall, two flew in, carrying a long package. The package was dropped right in front of Harry, who looked at it quizzically.

Tentatively, Harry unwrapped the paper from the object to find that he had been sent a Firebolt. Harry looked at Hermione, who had a suspicious look on her face.

"Harry, something isn't right here. Didn't you say a few months ago that what you really wanted was your Firebolt? And now you have one? That doesn't add up," she said.

"You're right, Hermione. Something's wrong with this picture, and for some reason, I don't trust this thing at all right now. I'm gonna take it up to Grandpa and see what he has to say about it."

With that, Harry stood up to leave and grabbed the broom. As he did so, he vanished from the Great Hall, leaving an astonished Hermione behind.

A/N: I know, a cliffhanger. Sorry. I also know that I put in a previous chapter that portkeys cannot work on the grounds of Hogwarts. Don't worry about that, as it will all work out. I realize that I didn't put much emphasis on the Horcruxes here. These ones aren't really a big part of this story. I'm planning on giving Hufflepuff's cup a larger role in the future, but that is a ways off.


	14. The Shadow of Death

Author's Note: Thank you all for your positive reviews of the last chapter. It was the most difficult to right, as I never seemed to get it to flow just right. That, and I thought that my dealing with the Horcruxes so quickly would turn some people off.

As I promised, this chapter will touch on how Harry was able to leave Hogwarts. But not until after some of the most major developments in the chapter. I know this chapter is a good deal shorter than the last couple, but it contains everything I had planned to go here. This chapter constitutes part three of my five-chapter story arc that will take us through year three and the summer following it.

As a response to the review by ARedHair: I thought about the possibility of abuse by a Dark Lord of the power sharing spell. While I haven't really found a spot to include it that wouldn't seem contrived, I have come up with an explanation. I put in that the spell was originally used for medical reasons, to stabilize a person whose magic was fading. The spell can only be used on another magical person to _recover_ their magic. But since it was used on a person with _no_ magic, it created a magical core for them from scratch. I'm not sure if I explained that well enough, but there it is.

Anyways, please read and review this chapter. Reviews give me an incentive to keep writing. As always, please let me know if you see any errors, and remember, I still do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 14

The Shadow of Death

Harry Potter fell to the ground, dropping the Firebolt in the process. Rolling over onto his back, Harry sat up to take in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was in a graveyard. Not just _a_ graveyard, he reminded himself, _the_ graveyard. Looking around, Harry noticed that he was alone amongst the grave markers.

Not wanting to make the same mistake he did last time, Harry found the Firebolt and grabbed it, hoping to take it back to Hogwarts. It didn't do anything. _So much for that_, he thought. Near one of the grave markers close to him, Harry could see the shack of the gravedigger. The door slowly opened to reveal Lucius Malfoy carrying a fetal-looking creature. They made their way towards Harry.

Wanting to give it one last try, Harry attempted to apparate out of the graveyard, but to no success. It seemed as though Malfoy had put up anti-apparation wards around their location.

"Pathetic boy. You actually think you can apparate out of here?" Malfoy asked. Harry drew his wand and took aim at Lucius. He was just about to fire a stunner at him when he was hit on the side of the head with a blunt object. Falling to the ground, Harry made out the figure of Barty Crouch Jr, before his vision went black.

* * *

Hermione Granger was panicking. Harry had just disappeared from the Great Hall as soon as he touched the Firebolt that had mysteriously arrived for him. Forgetting everything at the table, she rushed to the Headmaster's office and quickly gave the password. Hermione burst through the door to find Dumbledore behind his desk.

"Harry's disappeared. He got a mysterious gift and as soon as he touched it, he disappeared!" Hermione gasped out.

Donning a worried look on his face, Dumbledore went to his fireplace and called for Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, and Minerva McGonagall. Within moments, all had arrived in his office, with Sirius arriving from Grimmauld Place.

"It seems as though Harry has vanished," Dumbledore explained to the newcomers. "From what Miss Granger here has told me, it appears that some sort of portkey was used. I know how improbable that sounds, but the theory fits the facts. Now the question is, what do we do about it?"

"Wait, Professor. Harry is trying to communicate with me," Hermione said.

"_Hermione, can you hear me? I'm trying to use the Hat to communicate with you. Please respond if you can hear me,"_ Hermione heard in her head.

"_Yes, Harry, I can hear you. Where are you? We're all worried about you."_

"_I'm in the cemetery in Little Hangleton. I think that they're going to try the ritual again to give Voldemort his body back. There are anti-apparition wards set up around here, so you need another way to get here. Probably portkey. I need you to hurry up and get here as soon as possible. They have me tied up and removed my wands. Oh, here they come with the knife for my blood."_

Hermione closed the connection. "He's in the graveyard in Little Hangleton. He's being used in the ritual to bring Voldemort back and give him a body. We have to hurry to stop it, but there are anti-apparition wards in effect," Hermione was getting hysterical, which was not a common sight.

"Miss Granger…Hermione, please calm down. We will get Harry, don't worry," Dumbledore comforted. He then pulled out the same length of rope he had used to take Harry and Hermione to Diagon Alley earlier in the school year. "Portus," he said, while focusing his mind on the image of the graveyard in Little Hangleton. The rope glowed blue for a moment before fading. "This rope will act as a portkey to get us to Harry. Everyone here will go, as we need strength in numbers. There is no telling how many Tom will have on his side there."

Suddenly, Snape spoke from the back of the group. "Headmaster, wait," he requested, rubbing his forearm. "He is summoning his followers."

"Go, Severus," Dumbledore replied.

* * *

While there was a talk going on in the Headmaster's office back at Hogwarts, there was a ritual being performed in the graveyard in Little Hangleton. Lucius Malfoy had removed the bones of Tom Riddle, Sr. from his grave, and added them to a huge cauldron that he had put the creature he had earlier into. Next, he added the flesh of the servant but cutting off his own hand in a scream of agony. Finally, he approached Harry, who had been tied to the large grave marker of Tom Riddle Sr. and cut him on his wrist, collecting a small amount of the blood of the enemy to add as the final ingredient.

As he did so, the cauldron began to smoke and shake violently. After a moment, it started to glow a bright red before disintegrating. In its wake, a figure knelt. The figure slowly rose, gaining familiarity with its new body, before opening its eyes and looking directly at Harry. It was Voldemort. He turned to face Malfoy.

"Lucius, you have done well. Give me my wand," he commanded. Malfoy complied, then returned to cradling his bloody stump of a hand. Voldemort took the wand and with it pointed it at Malfoy's good hand and duplicated it onto his other wrist. Harry was surprised to see that he didn't immediately resort to giving him a silver hand as he had with Wormtail before. Then Voldemort turned his attention back to Harry.

"Ah, Harry. So nice of you to join us today," he said insincerely. "How does it feel to know that your blood was used to bring back the greatest dark lord ever known?"

"It feels like I got down and rolled in the mud with a pack of dogs," Harry retorted. Voldemort just snarled at this. He then walked over to Barty Crouch Jr. and grabbed his arm, pressing his wand to the dark mark there.

Within moments, there were five others in the graveyard with them, all dressed in Death Eater garb. "Why is it that you all hid and claimed innocence during my absence?" Voldemort roared. "Why is it that only now, when I have returned, that you come crawling back to me? Crucio!" One by one, each of the newcomers was subjected to the torture curse. Harry tried to tear his gaze away but the ropes holding his neck would not permit it. Suddenly, Harry felt those ropes disappear, and he found himself falling to the ground. Harry stood up to face Voldemort, whose wand was trained on him. Harry thought of summoning his wand from Voldemort, but that would be too easily noticed.

"Now, Harry, I think it is time for a little exercise, don't you? It's been far too long since I've been able to cast a spell properly, so I think its time to stretch my muscles a little," he said. "Crucio!" and Harry began to writhe on the ground, his howls piercing the air. The pain was like a thousand hot knives stabbing Harry all at once while his blood boiled in his veins. After what seemed like hours, but was actually only a few seconds, Voldemort released the spell, leaving a quaking Harry lying on the ground.

Harry's old body had been subjected to the Cruciatis curse on numerous occasions, to the point where he could recover from it relatively quickly. However, this body had not felt the pain of the Unforgivable curse yet, and as such, his nervous system was still acting up. Unable to move for several seconds, Harry was at Voldemort's mercy.

"As much as I would enjoy torturing you, Harry, I think I'll be merciful and end your pathetic existence now. Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort declared from about twenty feet away from Harry. As the bright green bolt of light flew towards Harry, time seemed to stand still.

* * *

Severus Snape was not a nasty man. Sure, he had appearances to keep up in front of his Slytherins, but the real reason he had been sorted into that house was that he had been ambitious. Ambitious for his own sake. But it was this trait that made him shunned throughout his years at Hogwarts, and made him into the unwitting victim of Black, Lupin, and Potter, along with their sniveling little sidekick Pettigrew. He had known only one friend, and it was that friend that he fell in love with.

It was also that friend that he had given a promise to just days before her death. As she and her husband took their child and went into hiding, Lily Potter extracted a promise from Severus to protect her child at all costs should anything happen to her. He had already failed in this responsibility once, allowing Harry to fall victim to those abusive muggle relatives of his. But he would not stand for it again. He had been able to look past the façade of James Potter and see the eyes and spirit of Lily resting in Harry. It was this that allowed him to put aside his hate for his childhood rival and train the child.

Severus Snape had experienced much darkness in his years, and had seen much death and destruction. So much so that he was associated with it on a daily basis by his students. This was not an image he wanted to live with. As much as he thought it necessary to maintain his role as a spy, the last thing he wanted on his epitaph was "Dark Lord's willing accomplice."

It was this motive that made him act. When Snape heard Voldemort cast the killing curse at the incapacitated Harry, he knew he had to do something. So he apparated away.

* * *

As Harry heard Voldemort cast the killing curse, he braced himself. He watched as the green light sped towards him, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the peaceful darkness to overcome him. But the blackness never came. Instead, just before the curse should have hit him, he heard a pop followed by a thud. Harry opened his eyes cautiously to see the fallen form of a Death Eater between himself and Voldemort. Whoever this Death Eater was, they had taken the killing curse meant for Harry.

"Well, let's see who the spy in my ranks was for all these years, shall we?" Voldemort suggested. From a distance, he used his wand to vanish the mask on the Death Eater's face, revealing the visage of Severus Snape.

As Harry stared into the lifeless eyes of his Potions Professor, he gained a sense of newfound respect for the man. The man who had accosted him throughout his first life, but trained him in his second had given his life for Harry. To give Harry a second chance. And Harry would not allow that sacrifice to be in vain. While Voldemort was distracted with inspecting the corpse of Snape, Harry silently summoned his wands without being noticed.

"Ah, Severus. You have no idea how disappointed I am to find that _you_ of all people, was the spy. Oh well. Look what following that muggle-loving old man brought you," Voldemort gloated.

Just as Harry lifted his wand to point at Voldemort, there was a bright flash of light that took a second to disappear. As it did, Harry could see the figures of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and last but not least, Hermione Granger.

"It ends here tonight, Tom," Dumbledore announced. Voldemort just laughed maniacally.

"You think so, old man? Well, you have another coming. If you manage to strike me down, I will be reborn more powerful than you can imagine. You're a fool old man. I have seen more than you can possibly know. I _know_ more than you ever could. Do not think you stand a chance against me. You cannot kill the immortal. "

"We shall see, Tom. We shall see."

Suddenly, a green curse shot out from the ranks of the Death Eaters towards Remus. Using his enhanced senses due to his lycanthropy, he was able to expertly dodge the curse and fire back a stunner of his own. This exchange signaled to the other members of the Order of the Phoenix that were present that the battle had begun.

Spells began to fly between the two sides. At first, both sides had been arranged in a line across from each other, like an old style army battle. Too soon, however, the battle devolved into individual duels between light and dark. Amidst the commotion, Voldemort fired another killing curse at Harry. This time, the latter saw it coming and was able to dodge.

"Expelliarmus," Harry shouted, firing at his attacker. This too was dodged. Voldemort just laughed at Harry's attempt.

"Is that all?" he asked while firing another killing curse at Harry. This one Harry had to roll onto the ground to miss. "To really beat me you have to give into your hate. The only way to defeat me is to kill me. Can you find it in yourself to do that, Potter?" Voldemort taunted.

Harry had heard enough from this madman. He stood up and fired a volley of several spells; one right after another. Voldemort was able to make out Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Reducto, among others. Just as the first was about to make it to their target, Voldemort made a small apparation jump to a location a few feet away, dodging the curses. Apparently the anti-apparition wards only prevented apparition outside of their confines.

"You're weak, Potter. How is it that you are the one destined to defeat me, yet you don't even have the will to do so? You think using fifth year spells is going to stop me?"

Harry swore and dodged another attack by the Dark Lord. He had to end this battle now, no matter what it took.

"Avada Kedavra," Harry announced, desperate to finish the fight. At the same time, Voldemort uttered the same curse, and twin beams of green light flew towards each other, locking at the middle. Harry's and Voldemort's wands were now connected.

Taking a moment to survey the rest of the battle in the few seconds that the Priori Incantatum allowed, Harry saw the various duels that were going on. On one side of him, Dumbledore was dueling Lucius Malfoy, and it looked as though the latter was getting the worst of the fight. On the ground nearby, confined by magical ropes, Harry could see Barty Crouch Jr. It seemed as though Dumbledore had defeated him before moving on to Malfoy. Near them, McGonagall was busy dealing with Bellatrix Lestrange. It appeared as though those two were evenly matched, with both of them exchanging spells as a rapid rate. Harry had to give it to the aging Transfiguration Professor; she could hold her own well, despite her feeble appearance.

On Harry's other side, Sirius and Remus were in a pairs duel against Crabbe Sr. and Goyle Sr. The two Marauders looked to be enjoying themselves immensely, while their opponents seemed to be struggling to hold their own. Apparently, the lack of brain development was not an anomaly in their sons.

Finally, Harry could see Hermione. Ironically, she was engaged in a duel with Dolohov, the same one who had cursed her in the Ministry in their first life. Just as Harry began to pay attention to their duel, Hermione disarmed the Death Eater and stunned him. She refused to repeat the same mistake she had made during the battle at the Department of Mysteries and silence him.

Harry was forced to turn his attention back to his own duel after only a few seconds. Seeing that it was going nowhere, Harry pulled out his backup wand with his free hand. He began to fire low powered curses at Voldemort, as most of his power was tied up in their intertwined spells. Voldemort, seeing that Harry had the advantage with two wands, broke the connection and threw up a hasty shield, defending himself.

Harry took this opportunity to go on the offensive. Using both wands, Harry dispelled with announcing his attacks and began to throw every curse he knew at Voldemort, save for the Unforgiveables. Harry had tried it once but felt dirty just thinking about it. He would not stoop to that level again.

Having defeated her opponent, Hermione rushed over to help Harry against his. She joined him at his side just as he began to fire a flurry of spells from both of his wands. Hermione whipped out her secondary wand and did the same. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Voldemort, in the split second he had before impact, waved his wand silently to raise the wards and then apparated away. Noticing that their master had disappeared, three of the remaining Death Eaters followed his example and vanished to an unknown location.

Harry stopped to collect his breath and them looked at the scene around him. Harry could see the still figure of Dolohov on the ground where he had been stunned, as well as the incapacitated form of Barty Crouch Jr. Professor McGonagall was covered in cuts and was bleeding slightly from some of them, but was otherwise unharmed. Sirius had a deep gash along one of his arms, probably from a slicing hex, while Remus was laying on the ground with what looked to be a broken leg. It seemed as though Crabbe Sr. and Goyle Sr. had used a series of dark spells, including a bone breaking curse in their duel. In front of the two of them lay Goyle Sr., who had been stunned along with the other two Death Eaters.

Hermione was standing next to Harry, and he could tell that she was physically all right. But she appeared to be shaking from the adrenaline overload. Harry wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her tight, consoling her. It was over.

Several feet away, Harry could see Dumbledore, kneeling over the still body of Severus Snape. The Headmaster had sustained no injuries due to his expert dueling, but his psyche might be severely damaged due to the loss of his colleague and friend. Slowly, he reached up and closed the eyes of the Potions Master, which had remained open as he was struck by the killing curse. Without a word, Dumbledore grabbed onto the body and apparated away. Getting the message, the others followed his example. McGonagall created three portkeys to the Ministry of Magic and placed them on the persons of Crouch, Dolohov, and Goyle, before activating them. The three disappeared. She then grabbed onto Remus and side-along apparated him, while Harry did the same to Hermione. All reappeared outside the protective wards of Hogwarts.

Silently, the procession entered the castle, and all members of the battle party went to the hospital wing to be checked out. Dumbledore laid Snape's body on one of the beds before conjuring a white sheet and draping it over his form. He stood there silently before sweeping out of the room.

* * *

An hour later, after being treated by Poppy Pomfrey, the group had reassembled in the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore seemed to have recover some of his energy, but his eyes still had an unfamiliar pair of dark circles underneath them. "Harry, can you tell us exactly what happened?" he asked, wanting a first-hand account of what happened before the Order arrived.

"Well, we were having breakfast in the Great Hall when all of a sudden the mail owls arrived. Two of them were carrying a long package for me. When I opened it, I found a Firebolt, the broom I had in my previous life. I had remarked to Hermione that I wanted it back several months ago, and it seems as though one of the children of a Death Eater reported that to their parents. We thought it was suspicious, so I grabbed it to bring it up to you, but as I did so, I was portkeyed out of Hogwarts and into the graveyard. About that, Grandpa; I thought that you couldn't portkey on the grounds of Hogwarts due to the wards?" Harry asked.

"I've given it some thought as to how it was managed. The only thing I can think of is the dark magic that can be used to make what is known as a blood portkey. This magic requires the murder of an innocent person before using their blood in a ritual not unlike the one you witnessed today. The resulting portkey can bypass any ward other than a blood ward, such as those on Privet Drive. Unfortunately, wards such as those do not exist around Hogwarts, as they require a sacrifice to be put in place," Dumbledore explained.

"I get it now. But anyway, back to my story. I arrived at the graveyard and saw Malfoy come out of the gravedigger's shack with a small, fetus-like creature. As I drew my wand on him, I was hit in the head by a blunt object. The last thing before I lost consciousness was Barty Crouch Jr. I'm not sure how long I was out, but when I awoke, I was bound to one of the grave markers. Ironically, it was the one belonging to Tom Riddle Sr. Malfoy then used the flesh of the servant, the bones of the father, and the blood of the enemy in a ritual that created a new body for Voldemort. As soon as he was reborn, he called for his Death Eaters. When they arrived, he began to punish them for turning their backs on him while he was gone, before he freed me from my captivity and cast the Cruciatis curse at me. While I was recovering from the curse, Voldemort took the opportunity to fire the killing curse at me. As the beam approached me, Professor Snape apparated within the confines of the wards and into the path of the beam. It appears that he took the curse for me, and died to save me. It was then that you appeared. The rest is history."

At his mention of the demise of the Potions professor, everyone's heads bowed a little. It seemed as though everyone in the room gained much more respect for Severus Snape that day.

"So now that You-Know-Who is back, this changes everything, doesn't it?" McGonagall posed.

"Come now, Minerva. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. Use the name he has chosen for himself," Dumbledore chastised. "But to answer your question, yes. This does change everything. We have no choice but to alert the Ministry of the situation. No doubt they are wondering where their new prisoners came from. I will get in contact with them as soon as we are done here to explain the situation. I believe that Minister Fudge will want us debriefed."

"Grandpa, I think I should mention something here. In Hermione's and my first life, the Ministry was, shall we say, less than receptive to the concept of Voldemort's return than we would have liked. I fear that things may be the same again this time," Harry warned.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, Harry. After all, there is no real way to force a person to believe something if they do not want to believe. Now, as the term is all but over except for the remaining few days of free time, I think it would be acceptable if you and Miss Granger were to return to your Manor early, in order to spend some time with your parents. I have no doubt that they will be interested in what has transpired today. I will summon you when and if your presence is required."

Harry and Hermione could tell that their presence was _not_ required now, so they made their farewells and left Dumbledore's office. Silently, they returned to Gryffindor tower and packed their trunks, careful to avoid the attention of their house-mates. In order to avoid suspicion, both shrank their trunks and placed them in their robes before meeting in the common room. Taking Hermione's hand, Harry led the way out of the tower and down the halls of the school. Eventually, they made it to the main doors and exited through them. Once they had reached the edge of the wards, both touched the pendants around their necks and were transported to Potter Manor.

* * *

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger appeared in front of Potter Manor and slowly made their way to the front door. Harry placed his hand on the door and it opened without a sound in front of him, granting him access to his ancestral home. When they entered, they found Dan and Emma sitting in the family room off of the kitchen. They were engaged in a game of wizard's chess. Apparently it was their first game, as they were both astounded that the pieces actually fought.

Harry cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Hermione, Harry, what are you doing home so early?" Emma asked, rushing over to wrap the two of them in a hug. Harry had vague recollections of Molly Weasley as Emma held him tightly.

"Um, some things happened today and Professor Dumbledore thought it would be best if we went home a few days early," Hermione explained sheepishly.

"What did you do, young lady?" Dan asked sternly.

"_We_ didn't do anything to get sent home Dad, don't worry about that. But something else did happen," she replied testily.

"I think it would be best if we all sat down," Harry suggested, wanting to get this part over with as soon as possible. The four sat down on the couches, with Harry and Hermione sitting together on one facing Dan and Emma on the other, with the coffee table and half-finished game of chess between them.

"Today," Harry began, "I was abducted from school in a plot to give Voldemort a new body. I was sent a gift from an unknown person, and as soon as I touched it, I was transported to a graveyard. After being knocked unconscious, my blood was used in a ritual to bring Voldemort back. After he had regained form, he attacked me, but our Potions Professor, who had been a spy in Voldemort's ranks for years, took the curse for me and died to save me. Grandpa, along with Sirius, Remus, Professor McGonagall, and Hermione here arrived and we engaged Voldemort and his Death Eaters in a battle. Eventually, we got the upper hand and forced them to retreat." Harry finished giving his brief overview of the day and paused for a breath.

"The point is, Voldemort is back. In light of this new development, Grandpa thought it would be best if we returned home early, where it is safe," Harry concluded.

Dan and Emma sat on the couch in silence, taking in everything they had just heard. They shared a look for a moment, seemingly communicating with each other silently, before they nodded at each other. Finally, Emma spoke.

"We can't say that we're happy about the situation here. It sounds like the magical world is extremely dangerous. But at the same time, the same can be said about the non-magical world. And right now, we find ourselves as part of the magical community, so we can't really turn our back on it, can we? From the looks of it, there will be a fight ahead, against this Voldemort and his followers, and you two will be on the leading edge of the opposition against him. We want to stand with you against him. We know we aren't nearly as knowledgeable as you two, but we want to be. Harry, Hermione, we want you to teach us what you know, so that when the time comes, we'll be ready."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other and smiled. "I can't say that is what we expected you to say," Harry said. "We thought you would lock us in our room or something like that for risking our lives."

"Harry," Dan said, "do you really think I'm about to lock you in a room with my daughter?" Harry laughed at this, but then looked at Dan, who wasn't laughing. Quickly, Harry stopped and looked at his feet. At this, Dan finally broke out in a roaring laugh at Harry's expense. He was soon joined by the others.

"The real question, I think, is where do we go from here?" Dan asked once the laughter died down.

"Well, Professor Dumbledore said that he would contact Harry soon. He was going to get in touch with the Ministry of Magic and fill them in on the details, but he expected that the Minister would want to debrief Harry personally," Hermione explained.

True enough, the next morning, Harry was awoken by Dobby, who told him that Dumbledore wished to speak with him via floo. Harry made his way down to the sitting room fireplace, where Dumbledore's head was stationed.

"Ah, Harry, thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I apologize if I woke you, but it was urgent that I speak with you," Dumbledore said.

"What is it, Grandpa?" Harry asked.

"Minister Fudge is here in my office as we speak. He is asking to speak with you as soon as possible." Harry glanced at the clock. It was just past seven in the morning. Fudge apparently wanted to catch him off guard due to the early hour.

"Can you let him know that I will be along as soon as I get ready?" Harry requested.

"I shall do that. And Harry, take your time." Dumbledore smiled and left the fireplace. Harry turned and went back upstairs to the master suite and took a shower before putting on a new set of robes. Grabbing a slice of toast from the counter in the kitchen, where Dan, Emma, and Hermione were eating, Harry returned to the sitting room and used the floo to travel to Dumbledore's office.

As Harry tumbled out of the fireplace at Hogwarts, he noticed the two figures in the office. He recognized both immediately. One, of course, was Albus Dumbledore. The other was the short, pompous figure of Cornelius Fudge. Harry gave a curt nod to the latter. "Minister," he greeted.

"Mister Potter, thank you for coming this morning. I believe you know why we are here?" Fudge asked.

"I have a rough idea," Harry responded.

"Yesterday, you mysteriously vanished from the Great Hall. Dumbledore here claims that you were abducted by You-Know-Who and were made an unwitting participant in his revival. Of course, that's rubbish. But I want to know your side of the story."

Harry began to feel his anger rise. He could already tell that Fudge had made up his mind about the whole incident and there was going to be no way of convincing him otherwise.

"The Headmaster is correct, sir. I was rendered incapacitated and used to bring Voldemort," Fudge shuddered at the name, "back to life. Although we all know he was never really dead to begin with, don't we?" Harry asked rhetorically.

"Mr. Potter. Harry. Do you really expect me to believe that You-Know-Who has returned without a shred of evidence? What would happen if I went before the public and told them that? I would be laughed out of office, that's what. I will give you credit for apprehending Barty Crouch Jr. We had long thought him dead, but it appears that he faked his own death. Also, thank you for recovering Antonin Dolohov as well. But I am puzzled by why we were sent the bound body of Mr. Goyle."

"He was one of the Death Eaters who attacked us yesterday!" Harry exclaimed impatiently.

"Then he was obviously under the influence of the Imperius curse. You surely cannot believe that a man of his standing would choose to follow the doctrine of You-Know-Who, do you? That's preposterous. Admit it, your story has too many holes to be believable."

"Really?" Harry stated smartly. "Then how do you explain the death of Severus Snape?"

"Severus Snape was a known Death Eater during the first war. His death is of little consequence," Fudge replied.

"Is that it? 'Little consequence?' You didn't even answer the question. How do you explain his death? He obviously died. The question is, how?"

Fudge's face flushed with anger. "I don't have to answer to an impudent brat like you! I'm the Minister of Magic, and I do believe that it would do you well to remember your place, boy!" With that, Fudge spun and walked to the door out of the office. Before leaving, he turned to Dumbledore. "Dumbledore, I suggest you reexamine your teachings here. It's obvious that your students need to learn a lesson in manners." He then walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Harry turned to Dumbledore and began to chuckle, but the eyes of the Headmaster were dark. "Harry, I fear we have made a powerful enemy today. Fudge may be incompetent, but he is not stupid. He will muster every means at his disposal to discredit us and our claims."

"This is turning out just like last time, Grandpa," Harry added. "He used the media to smear us at every turn, even going so far as to attempt to arrest you for going after his job."

"As the press is in Fudge's back pocket, I'm afraid that our only option is to ride out the storm for now and let Voldemort prove his presence," Dumbledore said in a resigned tone.

"So you're saying that we sit back and do nothing? With all due respect, Grandpa, that's unacceptable. Yes, we can sit back and ignore Fudge and his lackeys, but I have no intention of just letting Voldemort get away with destroying the world. His goals are nothing short of gaining control over the entire world. He knows too much about the future to be left to his own devices. I know that we have no idea where he is, but we can keep searching for his remaining two Horcruxes as well as train ourselves so that we can balance the terms of the next engagement and come out victorious."

"Harry, I find myself constantly in awe of your wisdom. You are correct, we must train. We must prepare. We must recruit others to our cause. Our numbers are too few to make a dent in his forces, and what few people we have are out of practice and haven't seen a duel in more than a decade. It is time to reform the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore said.

"Agreed. But I would like to make a request. Could you ask Mad-Eye Moody to visit us at Potter Manor? I would like him to help us train. He is the most experienced Auror I know, and I also know he has a few tricks up his sleeve for dealing with Death Eaters. Any combat training he can provide to the four of us would be invaluable."

"'The four of us,' Harry?" Dumbledore queried.

"Dan and Emma expressed their interest in joining us. They don't want their new world to fall into darkness any more than we do. The two of them feel it is their duty to fight against Voldemort, and want to stand by our side."

"An excellent idea. I will relay your request to Alastor." Harry turned to go towards the fireplace. "But Harry," Dumbledore stopped him, "I do not need to warn you to be careful. I fear we are looking into the eyes of Death himself, and there is little we can do in the face of such evil."

"Not Death, Grandpa. Voldemort is but the Shadow of Death. There is one whose evil is greater than even his." With that, Harry tossed some floo powder into the fireplace and returned to Potter Manor.

* * *

The next few days passed slowly, but the fact that they were quiet was very refreshing for Harry and Hermione, who were still psychologically recovering from their ordeal. The two had spent lazy days together in the library reading for recreation, and occasionally going outside to swim in the lake behind the house. The entirety of the property within the fence was warded for safety, so as long as one didn't venture outside those confines, they would be protected.

Almost a week after Harry's confrontation with Fudge, he received a floo call from Dumbledore. Apparently, he had some news.

"Harry, I have spoken with Alastor regarding your request for training. He has agreed on the condition that you be willing to train any time he arrives at your home. Something about 'constant vigilance.' He wouldn't give any indication as to when he would arrive, so I suggest you be prepared to train at all times," Dumbledore recommended.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Harry said sincerely. "I'd also like it Remus was able to join us as well. He has some great insight as well, as our Defense professor."

"I think I can arrange that, Harry, but there is something you must know first. Have you read the Daily Prophet yet this morning?"

"No, not yet," Harry answered. "The mail has only just arrived."

"Would you kindly go and fetch your copy of the paper for today and bring it back here, Harry?" Dumbledore requested. Harry obliged and left the room for the kitchen. Finding that none of the other three in the room were reading it, Harry grabbed their copy of the Daily Prophet and retuned to the sitting room. He opened to the front page and read the headline.

**Ministry Bans Werewolves from Official Positions**

_In an attempt to keep the wizarding public safe, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge today announced a sweeping overhaul of government positions, including Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Amongst the changes enacted by the Wizengamot, lycans will no longer be allowed to hold official positions, and will instead be required to register with the Ministry._

"_Werewolves pose a great threat to the general public, and therefore their contact with the public will be severely limited as a precautionary measure," Minister Fudge said in his public remarks._

_Most notable among those affected will be Remus J. Lupin, current Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. When asked for a comment, neither he, nor Headmaster Dumbledore, replied. However, it appears as though Mr. Lupin's options are severely limited, and he will be forced to resign his position within the day._

"Where do they get the right to do this?" Harry asked angrily, throwing the paper down on the ground.

"Unfortunately, Harry, this came from the Wizengamot, the highest power in the land. They are even more powerful than Fudge when it comes to the law. Even as head of that body, I was unable to sway them from Fudge's grasp. It appears he has too many friends in high places that are just a few galleons away from swinging his way. But that isn't even the worst news. Since that article was published, Professor Lupin has indeed resigned. Immediately after he tendered his resignation, I received a visit from the Board of Governors. They have chosen the new Professor for me, at Fudge's suggestion. I had no say in the matter."

"Let me guess," Harry began, "Delores Umbridge."

"Right in one," Dumbledore answered. Harry sat on the couch thinking about these new developments for a moment. They he had an idea.

"Is the position of Potions teacher still available?" he asked.

"Sadly yes," Dumbledore answered. "I have not had the time to search for a suitable replacement. Despite his outward appearances, Severus truly was a master of his craft. It will be difficult to find someone to fill his shoes."

"Then might I suggest that you move quickly to get your choice through before the Ministry decides to get involved?"

"Why do I get the feeling that you have one person in particular in mind, Harry?"

"Maybe because I do. I was thinking that you could give Sirius the position. He is, after all, much better at potions than he ever was at DADA. And just look at how well he did as the fill-in there this year. I think he would make the perfect choice to teach potions. That, and the Ministry couldn't object, as his record has been expunged. He is perfectly clean."

"Excellent idea, Harry. I think that you are right, that we need to draw a line where Hogwarts is concerned. I'll get in contact with Sirius right away. Is there anything else?" Harry shook his head in the negative. "Good day, Harry. And remember, always be aware. You never know when Alastor will show up."

Instantly, Dumbledore's face disappeared from the flames, leaving Harry in silence once more. He glanced down at the crumpled newspaper on the floor before leaning down to pick it up. Harry returned to the kitchen, where the three Grangers were sitting there, looking at him expectantly. Deciding it would be better to get it over with quickly, like ripping off a bandage, Harry told them what had transpired and what the Prophet had reported.

As expected, Dan erupted in anger. "Who in the hell do they think they are to make a law saying that people with a certain disease can't work for the government? It's an outrage!"

"Calm down, Dan. I've already had this discussion with Grandpa. Apparently, Fudge has a large portion of the Wizengamot, that's our Parliament, in his back pocket. They are simply sheep following the shepherd. True, he will lead them to the slaughter, but they will do a great amount of damage on the way."

Hermione, who had been silent all morning, finally spoke. "Harry, what if this is just an attempt to get to you? Fudge knows that you are going to press the fact that Voldemort returned. I think he is just trying to get you to shut up, or even publicly announce that he has not returned. Fudge is trying to get everyone near you out of the way, and take everything you hold dear away from you."

"You're probably right, as always," Harry confirmed. "Either way, for now we have to play things by ear where the Ministry is concerned. If we appear to get too riled up by their actions, they will take even more drastic steps."

"But what if being silent isn't what they want, Harry? What if they are trying to get you to come out in support of their position on Voldemort. You are the Boy-Who-Lived, after all. You carry a lot of clout in the magical world. Just having you refute your claims about Voldemort would be a boon to the Ministry."

Harry sat silently for the rest of the meal, picking at his food and thinking over what Hermione had just told him. _What if she's right?_ he thought. _What if they're just setting me up to fail? I can't let them do that. I have to stay silent and not let them bait me._

As much as Harry wanted that to be the case, he knew it would not be. He knew that he Ministry would use every legal tool available to it, in addition to sending in the press to rip him to shreds. Harry had to prepare himself, as he had a long fight ahead of him.

A/N: I had to end it there. I didn't want to deal too much with the fight against the Ministry in this chapter, as a good portion of next chapter will be dedicated to that. But onto another matter. I'm not sure I'm too got at writing action scenes. I can visualize what I want in my head, but I'm not too sure that comes across on paper. Also, it may seem to be a bit disappointing where Harry actually went. I think that a few reviewers were getting too excited. But this is what I had planned all along, at least the general idea of what would happen. Remember, Voldemort doesn't know that Harry is from the future yet, so he is simply adjusting his pre-existing plans to suit the circumstances. Therefore, things played out similarly here to canon. Please review and let me know what you think.


	15. I Will Fear No Evil

Author's Note: I apologize for the last chapter. Apparently there were a number of issues with it that really hurt both its believability and flow. I am going to make some changes to it to improve it, but right now I thought that completely rewriting it would do more harm than good. As I still wrote chapter 14, and what happened in it is now part of the story, I have done what I can to address the issues that were brought up about it; namely Harry's lack of serious fighting as well as sitting back and letting the Ministry walk all over him. It was a little difficult to write myself out of that corner, as I had planned on going a different direction at first, but this one works better in the long run, I think. I tried to get these issues at least partly out of the way early in this chapter to try to clear the air. I finished this chapter up pretty quickly due to having a lot of free time, but I tweaked what I already had written to better address some of the issues brought up about chapter 14. Again, I apologize for the last chapter and the fact that some thought it wasn't all that great. As a result of the failure of chapter 14, I again ask if anyone is interesting in being my beta for this story. Everyone I have asked has turned me down. Thank you for the reviews, and I will do what I can to improve from here and take your suggestions to heart. Once again, I do not own Harry Potter.

Update: I've reworked parts of Chapter 14, especially some bits of the battle. While I didn't really change the fact that Harry used basic spells (as that would mess with this chapter), I did change the circumstances behind the death of Snape. No longer does Harry turn his back on Voldemort. Thank you to those who pointed out some of the problems with that chapter, and I will continue to tweak it further to improve on it.

Chapter 15

I Will Fear No Evil

Harry Potter sat in the window seat in the master suite of Potter Manor, looking out over his expansive grounds. He could see the lake that he and Hermione had used for swimming, and in the distance, he could see the rolling hills of the English countryside. Harry sighed. He should be happy. He should be able to look out his window at his property with a sense of pride and tell himself, 'this is mine.' But he didn't. Because the mind of Harry Potter was weighed down with two lifetimes of troubles, and they only seemed to be mounting further.

A little over a week before, Harry had been subjected to a ritual that brought his long-time nemesis back from the abyss. But this was not what was troubling him. Harry had faced this situation before and survived. But now, he seemed to be in a no-win scenario. The Ministry of Magic did not believe him when he claimed the return of Voldemort, and they seemed to be hell-bent on destroying him. Harry could still remember the article that was published in the Daily Prophet only a few days after the incident:

**Boy-Who-Lives Lies?**

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Harry Potter has been long viewed as the hero of the wizarding world. But just how far are we willing to follow him before we say 'enough?' The most recent tale told by the infamous Boy-Who-Lived revolves around the purported return of You-Know-Who. Mr. Potter claims that he was unwittingly made to participate in a dark ritual that gave You-Know-Who a new body. However, Mr. Potter has a long history of making up stories. In his second year, he claimed to have killed a basilisk to protect Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the machinations of well-known philanthropist Lucius Malfoy. No proof was offered to back up the claim. Now, the only evidence Mr. Potter can produce regarding the return of You-Know-You is the mysterious death of former Death Eater and Potions Professor Severus Snape. While Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, would not stoop to the level of attacking Mr. Potter personally, he confirmed that the death of Severus Snape was in no way connected to any activities by You-Know-Who._

Ever since that day, Harry had been preparing for the training that he had requested at the hands of ex-Auror Alastor Moody. Harry, Hermione, and the two adult Grangers would be participating in training with the grizzled war veteran, in an attempt to prepare for the inevitable attack by Voldemort. No matter what the Ministry or the media said, Harry Potter was going to be ready when the time came.

But what disturbed Harry more than anything was the fact that, during his duel with Voldemort, he had attempted to use the killing curse. Up until that point, Harry had tried to use spells that would incapacitate the Dark Lord, instead of killing him. As the duel progressed, Harry began to grow more desperate and use more deadly spells such as the reductor curse. But in using an Unforgivable curse, Harry felt as though he had sullied himself. Harry had taken lives before, such as Ron Weasley and Professor Quirrell. But it was only now that he began to think that there may have been a better way to deal with each of those situations. He had no desire to become like Voldemort, and Harry felt that if he began to make a habit out of killing his enemies, that is exactly what he would become.

With his mind full of such thoughts, Harry walked over to his adjoining bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. He turned on the faucet and let the water run for a moment before splashing some on his face. When he dried his face and looked into the mirror, it was not his own reflection that greeted him, but the image of James Potter, or God in the form of James Potter.

"Harry, why does the soldier kill?" the image asked. "Is it for personal glory? Is it out of rage? No. The soldier kills to protect the ones he loves."

"What do you mean, Lord?" Harry asked.

"Throughout history, I have ordered my people to wage war on their enemies; people who went against my teachings. For example, I led the people of Israel against the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. Whenever an evil force arises, there must always be a good one to counter it. Harry, you must learn that evil cannot be countered by trying to imprison it or temporarily disarm it; it can only be defeated by soundly destroying it. If done for the right reason, there is no shame in killing. Yes, you may feel a sense of guilt. That is only natural and is your indication that you are indeed fighting for the side of good. But if you kill justly, then you shall be judged accordingly. Bear this in mind, Harry. You cannot win this war relying on disarming spells alone."

"But I wasn't able to kill Voldemort that night, even though I tried to use the killing curse," Harry protested.

"You were not meant to kill him that night. When the time comes, you will know it. But until then, you must not hold back. Trust your instincts, Harry, and trust me. Do not buy into the concept that you must be evil to kill someone with the killing curse. There are those who say that you must possess pure malice in your heart to do so. But if your heart is full of light, you can cast the curse out of righteousness. Remember this, Harry, and you will be successful in the war that is upon you." With that, the image of James Potter disappeared from the mirror, leaving only the reflection of Harry Potter in its wake.

This encounter woke Harry up. Up until now he had been more concerned with just getting by. He had assumed that he would be able to defeat Voldemort through an act of luck, or without the use of any Unforgivable curse. Despite the fact that the prophecy said that Harry must kill or be killed, he had still tried to find a way to circumvent it. But this most recent conversation with God had turned on a light in Harry's head. No longer would he resort to weak spells and curses in an attempt to ward off evil. His hesitance cost a man his life in the graveyard, and he could not let that happen again. He would apply this same approach to the rest of his life as well.

Knowing that he had to take a more proactive approach in his life, Harry began to brainstorm ways to do just that. The most pressing problem that immediately faced him was that of the Ministry of Magic declaring a feud with him. The threat of Voldemort still hung in the distance, but Harry could do little against that without Ministry support. Finally, he had an idea.

Harry trudged down the stairs to the second floor library in his exercise outfit of jogging shorts and a light t-shirt. He had taken to wearing these around the house whenever possible in the event that Moody arrived without warning for training. In the library, he found Hermione reading yet another book. It appeared that she had made it her personal mission this summer to read every book in the library. Not that Harry could complain about that, as her bookishness had led to many creative solutions to problems and had saved Harry from many a precarious spot over the years.

"Mione, I think it's time we do something about the whole Ministry thing. I can't let them destroy Dumbledore and I the same as they did last time without trying to stop it," Harry said as he sat down next to Hermione.

Hermione closed her book and laid it on her lap before looking Harry in the eye. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"Well, since Fudge is using the media against me, I thought we should get the media on our side for once."

"And how to you propose to do that? The Daily Prophet is essentially on Fudge's payroll. They report what he wants, whenever he wants," Hermione countered.

"Then we just have to get them on our payroll, then. Don't we?" Harry suggested mischievously.

"You're saying that you want to _buy_ the Daily Prophet? Do you have any idea how much that will cost?"

"Not really. But I do know that I have more than enough galleons to cover it, no matter how much it costs. Besides, it would be a small price to pay to clear my name a little." Hermione began to smile as she realized the possibilities of having their own paper at their disposal.

"Alright, Harry. But we need to do this quickly, before Fudge has the opportunity to do any more damage," she said.

"Well, I was thinking of leaving right now, but if that's too quickly then…" Harry didn't finish before Hermione was out the door of the library. Harry chuckled and followed her.

The two picked up Dan and Emma from the family room, wanting to give them a chance to get out of the house. While they were now magical, they did not have the skills necessary to adequately defend themselves, and had not left the house often as a result. The group used the floo in the sitting room to travel to Diagon Alley. Harry was proud that he was able to correctly pronounce his destination this time.

Once they arrived, the four made a short stop over at Gringotts and checked on Harry's vault balance. With the interest that had been gained over the last several months, Harry's balance was now at 114 million galleons. Harry then asked the teller for a checkbook that could be tied to his vault. He was given a small stack of parchment and was asked to provide a sample signature on the top one. As soon as he did so, it vanished. The goblin then informed Harry that the rest of the checks would be charmed to only respond to the sample signature he had just provided, as a security measure.

Walking out of Gringotts, the group made their way down the Alley and into a large building that Harry had never been in before. In the lobby, he found a secretary sitting behind a desk that said 'The Daily Prophet' on the front of it. Harry walked up to the desk and waited to be noticed. The witch sitting behind the desk paid no attention to him and continued to read her copy of Witch Weekly.

Finally, Harry had waited long enough. "Excuse me, miss." The witch looked up with a disgusted look on her face because Harry had interrupted her reading. "I'd like to speak to the editor, please."

"Do ya have an appointment?" she asked turning back to her magazine.

"No," Harry responded simply.

"Then come back later when you do."

At this, Harry turned to Dan and nodded. Dan pulled out his wand and aimed it at the witch. "Confundus," he chanted, and the witch suddenly became confused. "Oh, are you alright?" Dan asked in a worried tone. "We were just wondering where the editor's office was."

"Up the stairs there, last door on the right," the secretary responded.

"Thank you," all four said at once.

"Thanks for letting me get in some practice, Harry. It's amazing what one can do with this little stick," Dan commented as the four walked up the stairs.

When they arrived at the editor's office, Harry knocked out of politeness. But he opened the door immediately afterwards and strode into the office.

"Who the hell are you and what do you want?" the editor spat angrily. Looking at the nameplate, Harry noticed that his name was Franklin Abernathy.

"Well, Frank," Harry began, sitting down in one of the chairs opposite the editor, "we just had a few questions for you."

"Well, do you have an appointment?"

"No, but strangely we heard the same thing from your secretary downstairs. But she became much more cooperative with a little…persuasion," Harry added in a mildly threatening tone.

Abernathy huffed. "What did you need to know?"

"Who is the real owner of this paper?" Harry asked.

There was a moment of silence as the editor sized up his visitors. "I am. Bought it six years ago. Why do you ask?"

"And how much did you pay for it six years ago?" Harry asked, completely ignoring the question.

Abernathy didn't answer immediately, apparently afraid to truthfully admit how much he had paid. "Five hundred thousand galleons," he replied proudly.

Harry nodded and pulled out one of the small pieces of parchment he had received from Gringotts earlier. "I am going to write you a check for seven hundred and fifty thousand galleons to buy the Daily Prophet, free and clear, today. Is that acceptable?"

The editor stuttered. "But…but…but why would you want to do that?"

"That doesn't matter. I am giving you a fifty percent return on your investment, outside of the profits you have made over the last several years. As you know, there is no inflation in the wizarding world, since we use gold, so you are making two hundred and fifty thousand galleons in pure profit if you sign over the paper right now. Do we have a deal?" Harry asked as he slid the completed check over the desk.

Frank Abernathy took a long look at the check, and it's many zeroes, before reaching into his desk and pulling out a lone piece of parchment. He then signed it in the lower left hand corner and gave it to Harry. Harry inspected the parchment. It was the title of ownership for the Daily Prophet.

"All you've got to do is sign in the lower right hand corner and the place is yours," Abernathy explained. Harry did so and the parchment glowed before both signatures disappeared. On the top of the parchment, it now said Harry James Potter under the title of Owner.

"Thank you, Mr. Abernathy. I must now ask you to clean out your desk, as I will be appointing a new editor in your place. But as for your last act as editor, I ask that you terminate the employment of one Rita Skeeter on your way out. With any luck, my new editor will be arriving tomorrow, so I hope that everything is taken care of by then. Good day," Harry said, as he and his entourage left the room and made their way back outside.

When they were back outside, Emma couldn't help herself. "Who did you have in mind for editor, Harry?"

Harry gave a gleeful smile. "You'll see."

The four returned to Potter Manor by way of their pendants and Harry immediately walked into the sitting room to use the floo. "Remus Lupin," he announced throwing some powder in and sticking his head into the green flames.

Harry could see a small, homely cottage. Immediately in front of him was a ratty old chair in which his beleaguered former professor sat.

"Harry, what can I do for you?" Remus asked.

"Hey Moony, how're you getting along?" Harry inquired. He was honestly concerned about the werewolf's wellbeing in the wake of the Ministry law against him holding any public positions.

"About as well as can be expected, I guess. But I think the better question is, how are you holding up? The Ministry is after you like a blood hound."

"Well, oddly enough, as of today, I think things are going to get better. I've made some decisions about my life in the last few hours that I hope will make things better. I'm not going to sit back and let things happen so much. As a result, I have a proposition for you."

"Name it," Lupin responded.

"How would you like a job as the editor for the Daily Prophet?" Harry proposed.

"The Prophet? Are you joking, kiddo? That place is owned by nothing but Fudge's slime ball lackeys!"

"Moony, I would appreciate it if you didn't insult me like that." Harry said with a smile.

"_You_ would appreciate it…? Wait. What did you do?" the older man asked suspiciously.

"I just made a trip down to Diagon Alley and made a small purchase. Oh, and incidentally, I now own the Daily Prophet. I let the editor go, which conveniently leaves the position open for you, if you want it."

"If you're serious, Harry, I'd love to take it," Remus answered with almost too much excitement.

"Great. I really needed someone I could trust to run the place. I told them you would report to work tomorrow. I want to change the tone of the paper and print the truth from now on. Tomorrow, I will give you an interview to run about the truth of Voldemort's return, and how the Ministry is trying to destroy me. It's time to fight back against the corruption."

After bidding the werewolf farewell, Harry withdrew his head from the fireplace to see the three Grangers standing behind him waiting for an explanation.

"I just asked Moony to be the new editor, and he agreed. Ever since he lost his job at Hogwarts, I thought he could use a new one, and this was the perfect opportunity." Hermione rushed over and hugged Harry for being so thoughtful. The group then retired to the family room where the rest of the day was spent in aimless activities. But Harry wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

At six in the morning the next day, Dobby woke Harry to announce that he had a visitor. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Harry stumbled down the stairs be greeted by the intimidating figure of Mad-Eye Moody, who was wide awake.

"Eh, Potter. Having a bit of a lie-in, were ya? I told Albus that if you wanted me to help you, you'd better have constant vigilance. Looks like you didn't heed my warning. Where are the others?" the ex-Auror asked.

Mumbling something about the un-Godly hour, Harry sent Dobby upstairs to rouse the Grangers while he changed into his exercise clothes. Five minutes later, four very sleepy people stood before the alert Moody, yawning feverishly.

"Oh, get off it. The day's already two hours old. Do you really think that some Death Eater is going to give you ten minutes warning like I did? No! They're gonna come in, take you by surprise, and gut you like a fish in your sleep. That's the way they operate. Now, do ya have a place we can train, Potter?" Moody asked.

Harry nodded and led the group down to the basement, which had been completely emptied and had padded walls installed. Moody grunted in satisfaction at the setup. "Now, let's start with the basics. Say I appeared in your bedroom as you were sleeping, just like a few minutes ago. What would you do? Anybody? No?" Apparently the minds of the four students were not yet fully active. "You'd pull out your wand and stun 'em, that's what. Then, if they posed a threat, you'd kill 'em on the floor. Saves time later. Wait... how many of you sleep with your wands?"

Only Harry and Hermione raised their hands. "And what's your excuse?" Moody asked Dan and Emma. "I'll tell you what, nothing! There is no reason not to have your wand on your person at all times. Constant vigilance as I always say. Now, I've been told that Potter and Miss Granger have had some combat training before, but that you two," he said pointing at the elder Grangers, "haven't. Therefore, we start with the basics. First up, dodging." Harry and Hermione groaned. They knew Moody's type of training; it would get physical from here.

"Before we do any magic, you have to learn to physically dodge a spell. If you're without your wand, how are you going to conjure a shield? You aren't. So you have to dodge the spell instead until you can get your wand. I'm gonna use a mild stinging hex to test you to see how good your abilities are. You first," he said, pointing at Dan.

Dan walked forward, and Harry, Hermione, and Emma stepped back against the wall. Moody began to fire a flurry of hexes towards Dan, who was able to sidestep most of them easily. After a while, Moody started to fire the spells faster and faster, and Dan was forced to roll to avoid them. It was as he was coming out of his roll that he was hit, signaling the end of his test.

"Hmph, not bad," Moody grunted. "You obviously have had _some_ training in the past."

"I just played a little football (A/N: The British kind, AKA soccer, not American football) in my youth," Dan commented.

"You next," Moody said, pointing at Emma this time. Dan and Emma switched spots and the test began again. Emma only lasted about a minute before she was hit, earning a biting remark from Moody about needing to work on her agility. Hermione came next, and she lasted about as long as Dan, earning some light praise from their trainer.

Harry was last to go through the test. Harry lasted longer than any of the others. In fact, it was actually Moody who called an end to Harry's test, as he was unable to fire the curses any faster. "Good job, boy. You can take a breather. The rest of you, get over here. We're gonna work on your agility."

For the next hour, Moody had the three Grangers dodging hexes to try to get them used to avoiding spells. After the hour had passed, the grizzled instructor announced the end of that exercise.

"Now, wands out. Today we're focusing on defense above all else. Yes, offense is good, but in the end, it is a good defense that will ensure that you survive to fight the next battle. We're gonna work on shield charms next. The most basic shield is the Protego shield, and it is cast using the same incantation, with a flick of you wand. To visualize it, think of swatting your opponent's spell back at them. That should give you the right timing. If performed correctly, this shield is capable of reflecting spells back at the caster as well. Now let's give it a try."

The rest of the morning was spent on shield charms and their variations. Harry and Hermione, having already learned most of them, were the first to get them down. However, Dan and Emma were no slouches either. They had an energy to learn that surprised even Moody, who was forced to give them grudging praise on more than one occasion.

At just past nine in the morning, Moody left, leaving the occupants of Potter Manor to perform their morning routines a couple hours late. After getting ready, Harry and Hermione traveled to Diagon Alley, for the promised interview with Remus as the new editor for the Daily Prophet. When they entered the building, Harry noticed that there was a different witch behind the counter than the day before.

Harry and Hermione entered the editor's office to see Remus hunched over a stack of paperwork, writing furiously. He looked up with a glare, which quickly softened once he saw who was in his office.

"Harry, Hermione, thanks for coming. Sorry about the mess, but this place is a disaster. Fudge has his cronies everywhere, so I've had to do some housecleaning. I've already cut a number of reporters, and I have interviews later in the day for others. But for now, we're still operational," the new editor admitted.

"Remus, I know you're probably overworked right now, but I'd appreciate it if you wrote the article about Voldemort's return personally. I want it written by someone I can trust, so that the events don't get twisted in the process," Harry requested. Even though Remus had been there in the graveyard, Harry and Hermione were still going to give their account for the paper, so that it looked like a legitimate story rather than an editorial.

"You're a real taskmaster, you know that Harry? First you want me to clean up this paper, which is a monumental task unto itself. Then you want me to write a story about the return of…Voldemort. Let me guess, you want it in tomorrow's edition as well, right?"

"That would be nice," Harry answered. Remus rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion before pulling out a quick quotes quill and some parchment. Taking this as their cue, Harry and Hermione began their story.

Just under an hour later, Harry and Hermione left the offices of the Daily Prophet, satisfied that Remus had gotten their entire story and would report it fairly. As they were making their way back to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home, the pair heard two faint pops behind them. Both spun around, wands at the ready to see two Death Eaters in front of them. Not giving it a second though, Harry fired the first shot.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry bellowed and a beam of light shot towards one of the Death Eaters. Harry had verbalized this spell in order to maximize the power behind it. The Death Eater made an attempt to dodge the curse, but wasn't completely successful, as their right arm was sliced cleanly off. Spurting blood from his wound, the Death Eater made a feeble attempt to cast the killing curse at Harry. Harry quickly summoned one of the wooden signs that hung over a shop and positioned it between himself and the oncoming curse. The sign exploded in a deluge of splinters.

Harry cast the blasting curse, confringo, at the Death Eater nonverbally, so as not to announce his intentions. Caught unaware, the weakened Death Eater exploded in a shower of gore. Performing a scourgify on himself, Harry looked over at Hermione, who was standing over her Death Eater, which had been knocked out and bound. She looked up at Harry, then at the remains of the other Death Eater.

"Honestly, Harry. I was able to take care of my Death Eater nice and cleanly. You, on the other hand, couldn't even manage to do a simple thing like keep them in one piece," she admonished. But Harry could tell that she wasn't entirely serious.

"Oh, come on, Hermione. What's one less Death Eater in the world? Besides, I told myself the other day that I wouldn't let any more Death Eaters survive to fight another day. I've realized that to win a war, one must be willing to fight a war. And in war, there are casualties."

Suddenly a team of Aurors arrived on the scene. The Auror in charge came up to Harry. "What's going on here?" he asked. "We got a repot of an attack in Diagon Alley."

"My girlfriend and I were attacked by these two…erm, one and a half, Death Eaters here. So we fought back. And you can see the results," Harry explained.

The Auror snorted. "Death Eaters, yeah right. Probably some prank. But someone did die here, so I need to take down your information in case the Department wants to debrief you. What're your names?"

"Sure. I'm Harry Potter. You might have heard of me. But since the Ministry doesn't believe anything I say anyway, why would they believe my story about this?" The Auror was at a loss for an answer, so he just turned to Hermione.

"And I'm Hermione Granger," she said simply, trying to get the man out of their hair. Apparently it worked, as, satisfied that he had their names for future contact, the Auror returned to his team and apparated away with the captured Death Eater.

"Isn't it great where our tax dollars go to?" Harry asked sarcastically. Each year, a small percentage was taken out of every vault in Gringotts to pay for operations at the Ministry of Magic.

Harry and Hermione returned to Potter Manor and Dan and Emma. They briefly explained their meeting with Remus as well as their run-in with the unidentified Death Eaters. Dan and Emma were silently glad they were not there, as they were not sure they would be able to handle themselves. Satisfied that everything was well, Harry and Hermione took her parents into the library to study more of the Hogwarts curriculum. Dumbledore had informed the Grangers that, via a waiver due to their age, they would be able to attend Hogwarts in the fall as fourth-year students with Harry and Hermione. The only qualification that was required was that they pass an entrance exam with information covered in the first three years at the school. They had been studying since they had been granted magical powers, and were now almost completely through the third year curriculum.

Neither Harry nor Hermione ever heard anything from the Ministry of Magic concerning the incident in Diagon Alley, but they weren't really expecting to. Harry thought that the Ministry was simply sniping him from a distance, and did not want to really come in contact with him. The day after the public battle, the Daily Prophet published Harry and Hermione's story.

**Voldemort Returns!**

_By Remus Lupin, Editor_

_For more than two weeks, there has been speculation about the return Voldemort, otherwise known as You-Know-Who. The Ministry of Magic has sought to silence all opponents and have dismissed all claims of his return. However, there are several eyewitnesses to the rebirth of the Dark Lord, most notably Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, in addition to Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and others. In an exclusive interview given to the Daily Prophet, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger explained the circumstances behind the return of Voldemort…_

What followed was a verbatim account of the story that Harry and Hermione had given to Remus the day before. He had not left anything out, and now the truth about what had happened in the graveyard was out in the open. However, this was not an article that would do any real damage to Fudge. Instead, it was more about informing the public. Fudge was still highly popular, and it would take a great deal of time and effort to push him out of power.

* * *

A week later, Dumbledore arrived at Potter Manor. Dan and Emma had finished their study of the first three years of classes, and were ready for their entrance exam. It had been much faster for the two of them to get through the material, as they were fast learners and were not held back by less than stellar students like in regular classes at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore carried with him two thick folders, full of parchment. "I have personally written this test for you," he announced. "You will have two hours to complete the test, and it is entirely multiple choice. Wouldn't want to make it too difficult, would we?" he asked, his eyes full of mirth. He then placed one folder down in front of Dan, and one in front of Emma. The two were situated on opposite sides of the dining room table. "When you are finished with the exam, please press the tip of your wand to the mark on the last page. Doing so will allow the test to grade itself, and we will have your results within moments. You may begin."

With that, sets of quills and ink appeared before the Grangers, and they opened their folders to begin the test. While they were working, Dumbledore left for the family room to visit with Harry and Hermione.

"So, Harry, I see that the Daily Prophet has been less vitriolic towards you of late. You wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?" the wizened old wizard asked. Harry had not yet told anyone outside of Remus, Hermione, and the elder Grangers about his purchase of the paper.

"Maybe," he responded. "I might have just written a little check and accidentally bought the Daily Prophet. I also might have installed a certain werewolf to the position of editor to clean it up. Why do you ask?"

Dumbledore laughed heartily at Harry's phrasing. "Harry, you might have taken matters into your own hands with regards to the media, but Minister Fudge will not take this lying down. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I have seen some of the laws he is proposing. He is targeting you. Now that he doesn't have the Daily Prophet at his disposal, he is turning to using the laws against you."

"What can we do, Grandpa?" Harry asked. As much as he knew about magic, he was lost in the legal machinations of the magical world.

"Right now, nothing. My influence over that body only extends so far. All we can hope for is that Fudge is somehow removed from office. But right now he is too powerful and has too many well-placed allies. It would be suicide to attempt to remove him from office now. For now, I suggest you keep up your public relations campaign against him, and try to get public opinion on your side. That way we can weaken him enough to call for a vote of no confidence. However, I fear that until Voldemort makes a public appearance, there will be little we can do to discredit the Minister."

Hermione was having enough of this doomsday talk. As much as she knew it was necessary, talking about what they had no power over right now seemed like a waste of time to her. "Let's talk about something more pleasant, shall we?" she suggested. "Have you and Professor McGonagall chosen a date for the wedding yet?"

Dumbledore's face flushed a little before he answered. "Yes, we were thinking of August sixth. We were just about to send out the invitations in the next few days." Harry glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was July thirteenth.

"Any idea where you are going to hold it?" Harry inquired.

"Well, we thought it would be only appropriate to hold it outside the castle at Hogwarts. Since it is the middle of summer, Minerva wants an outdoor ceremony. And after much research into the matter, we both agreed that we would actually prefer to have a muggle-style wedding. Minerva has always had a soft spot in her heart for them, and who am I to disagree with her?" Harry nodded feverishly, earning him a jab in the ribs from Hermione.

"But Harry, I do have a request. I would like you to serve as…what was the term? Ah, best man."

Harry was speechless. He hadn't even been asked to be the best man at Ron and Hermione's wedding. Ron had simply gone without, which Harry had dismissed as being part of a wizarding wedding. But it was an odd sensation to be asked to be the best man at your Great-Grandfather's wedding. Harry had no choice but to accept.

"I'd be honored, Grandpa." Harry replied.

"Excellent. And Miss Granger, I think that Minerva will have a request for you as well. Something about being a 'maid of honor,' or something like that. But I'll leave it to her to ask you herself," Dumbledore added.

At this point, Harry glanced at the clock. An hour had passed since Dumbledore had left Dan and Emma. The three got up to check on their progress. They walked into the dining room and stood there for a moment, not making a sound for fear of distracting the two. After a minute or two, both Dan and Emma pulled out their wands and pressed the tip to a circle on the last page of the test.

Dan, who had gone first, received his score first. After a small flash of light, a bright 94 appeared above his test. He grinned in pride at his score. Emma was next, and after a similar flash of light, a 98 appeared over her test. Looking at his wife's score, Dan scowled in mock anger. Dumbledore clapped his hands.

"Very good, both of you, especially you, Emma." This earned a glare from Dan, which apparently was exactly what Dumbledore was going for. He laughed in response. "But both of you did extremely well. For your information, a score of eighty was all that was required to pass the test. Both of you will be placed in fourth year with Harry and Hermione here. You will take the Hogwarts Express on September first, and we will have a special sorting for you at the end of our regular sorting ceremony. Congratulations, both of you on your hard work. You managed to cover in just over six months what it normally takes three years to learn."

Dumbledore gathered the two tests together and made his way to the fireplace. As he was about to depart, he turned back to Harry. "Oh, and Harry. I have taken the liberty of appointing your suggested Potions professor. He was delighted to take the position, and will also be assuming the post of Head of Slytherin house, despite the fact that he did not come from that house." With that, Dumbledore vanished in the green flames of the floo.

* * *

That night, at about ten thirty in the evening, just as everybody was preparing for bed, the floo flared up again, this time depositing the form of Mad-Eye Moody in the sitting room.

"You lot weren't thinking of hitting the hay, were you? The night is young, and we've got training to do!" Moody exclaimed.

"Aw, come on Moody. Why can't you just pick a time and stick with it?" Harry whined.

"Ya need to be ready to fight no matter what time of day it is, and no matter how convenient it is," Moody explained impatiently. "You need to be ready all the time. Being prepared is the antidote to fear, and without fear, you can do anything. Constant vigilance, as I always say. If you have constant vigilance then you will fear no evil."

Harry grudgingly led the group down to the basement for training again. After reviewing the basic shield charms they had covered in the last session, Moody moved on to new material. "Now we're gonna cover basic dueling techniques. I know that you already know some things about dueling, but I want to teach you properly. In order to do this, we are starting from the beginning. So if you want to whine about it, I suggest you leave now." Harry knew to keep his mouth shut at this.

"First up is standard dueling position. In duels, you are to stand with the side of your body with your wand arm angled towards your opponent and your feet shoulder width apart. Now practice that stance for a moment." Moody walked around to inspect the posture of each of his students before returning to the front. "Good. Now forget about that completely. In a fight you don't have time to take a position. By the time you get ready to duel, you're already dead. First rule of battle is: there are no rules. Take whatever position feels comfortable to you. But don't get too comfortable in that position, as to stay alive, you have to keep moving. Remember our lesson from last time; dodging is the key to staying alive.

Now, there are a number of spells to incapacitate your opponent. But most of them are rubbish. If you are in a real battle, you don't rely on disarming spells and petty little jinxes. No, you try and kill your opponent. The worst kind of Death Eater is a live Death Eater, and any Death Eater that isn't killed in battle is given another chance to kill later. Potter!" Harry's attention snapped to Moody. "I heard about your pathetic battle against the Dark Lord. I bet you have some self-righteous concept that you can win a war without any casualties. You can't defeat the most evil wizard of our time with simple spells. You have to fight to kill."

"I know that now, sir," Harry responded dejectedly. "I've done some soul searching and have realized that I made more mistakes than I would care to admit that night. What I want now is training to help me from doing it again."

Moody nodded at the young man. "Right. Then tonight we're gonna work on spells that _will_ kill your enemy." Moody pulled out his wand and transfigured a few loose stones on the ground into human-shaped dummies. He then enchanted them with some spell that Harry didn't recognize. "These dueling dummies will serve as your opponents tonight. I've spelled them to fire stunners back at you. We don't want any of you dying on us tonight, do we? What I want you to do is kill the dummies. Destroy them. Throw everything you have at them as though they were truly Death Eaters. I'll be walking around to give you a few pointers. Now each of you, pick a dummy."

Harry and Hermione took a dummy next to each other, while Dan and Emma did the same. All four were lined up in one row facing the dummies, with Harry on one end, and Dan on the other.

"Begin!" Moody announced, and waved his wand, animating the dummies. Instantly, the dummies began to fire stunners at their designated opponents. Moody walked up to Harry first and observed as the young man used a protego shield to protect himself from the first stunner. He then fired back with a strong flame curse. A wave of fire escaped from Harry's wand and incinerated the dummy. Harry looked at Moody, who simply nodded in approval.

He then made his way over to Dan on the end of the line. He had successfully managed to shield himself from the initial stunning spell, but returned fire with a disarming hex. As the dummy did not wield a wand, it was simply knocked back before firing another stunner at Dan. The latter physically dodged this attack but was hit with another has he tried to regain his stance, knocking him unconscious. Moody disabled Dan's dummy and revived him.

"Ya need to work on your spells more. There's no way you're gonna be able to take on a fully trained Death Eater using spells like that. Channel your anger into the tip of your wand and throw everything you can at the dummy. Give it no mercy."

Dan got back to his feet and Moody reanimated the dummy. This time, after shielding himself from the first shot from the dummy, Dan dipped into his bag of tricks. "Reducto," he murmured, and the dummy turned to dust. Without a word, Moody turned and went to his other two students.

Both Hermione and her mother were able duelers, and were able to destroy the dummy through various means without being stunned. Both earned slight praise from Moody, who was not used to giving it out. At just after one in the morning, Moody called an end to the training session, announcing that he would return again soon, and left the basement. Harry, along with the three Grangers went to their rooms and took a shower before heading off to bed, much later than they had originally intended.

* * *

The next morning found Harry sitting at the kitchen table drinking his morning mug of coffee and reading that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. The top story was once again bashing Fudge.

**Minister Refuses to Put Ministry on Alert**

_Minister Fudge announced today, that despite suggestions to the contrary, he would not order the Ministry of Magic into a position to prepare for an impending war. Despite the claims that Voldemort has returned, Minister Fudge refuses to believe it and claims that he would not incite panic in the wizarding public._

_In recent years, Auror recruitment has dropped by more than forty percent, and Auror staffing levels are at all-time lows. Sources within the Ministry claim that, if the Ministry mustered all available Aurors, they would only have just over three hundred available to counter any dark forces…_

Harry smiled. Remus was doing a good job combating the foolishness of Fudge. Harry was also delighted at the fact that, under the tutelage of Remus Lupin, the Daily Prophet had dispensed with calling Voldemort 'You-Know-Who' and was instead calling him by his real name. Harry put the paper down and finished the last of his coffee before heading upstairs to shower, not noticing the story that was farther down on the front page.

Later that afternoon, Dan and Harry were engaged in a "friendly" game of wizards chess. Well, about as friendly as could be expected between an intimidating father and his daughter's suitor. Ever since Dan had become a wizard, he had been reading up on Quidditch, and had traded in his trusty golf club for a Beater's bat.

Suddenly, Hermione came running into the room carrying the morning paper. "Harry! Have you read the Prophet this morning?" she asked in a rush.

"Yeah, I did. What's wrong?" Harry asked worriedly.

"You mean to tell me you didn't see anything wrong with the story on the front page?" she asked.

"No, not really," Harry admitted. "Should I have?"

Hermione snorted in anger and pushed Harry over on the couch, sitting down next to him and showing him the story in question. Farther down the page, under the story Harry had read earlier in the morning, was another that he had completely missed.

**Ministry Passes New Marriage Regulation**

_In a surprise move today, the Ministry of Magic passed a series of new regulations that will be added to the rules governing the ancient houses of the wizarding world. Chief amongst the new regulations is one that states that any head of an ancient house must take a spouse within thirty days or face the confiscation of the families' assets and titles. The Ministry touted these new regulations as a way to protect the ancient lines. By taking a spouse, an heir can be produced, allowing for continuity within the house._

_At the same time, the Ministry also imposed a regulation stating that each house must have at least one male heir in the event of the death of the Lord of the house. Fortunately, most of the ancient houses already meet both of these new requirements…_

"Do you know what this means, Harry?" Hermione asked, but didn't give him a chance to answer. "It means that as Lord Potter, you have to marry within the next month or else the Ministry is going to confiscate your assets. Of all the low things for Fudge to do…" She couldn't even finish.

Harry sat in silence for a moment, mulling over his options. Obviously, this was yet another attempt to destroy him, this time by taking his estate. He had only two options: try to get the law overturned, or marry Hermione. He had to talk to Dumbledore.

He stood up and excused himself from the room before going to the sitting room and using the floo there to travel to Hogwarts and the Headmaster's office. There he found a distraught Dumbledore reading the same newspaper that Harry had just read.

"Ah, Harry, I thought I should be expecting you. I see you've read the Daily Prophet this morning. After doing a bit of digging, I found that this new law only applies to one ancient house: the House of Potter. The question is, what are you going to do now?" the Headmaster asked.

"Actually, Grandpa, that's why I'm here. Honestly, I have no idea what to do. If I do nothing, I lose everything. My title, my house, my fortune, everything gone. Is there nothing we can do?"

"Harry, as I've told you before, there is little we can do. In fact, I am in danger of being removed from my position as head of the Wizengamot for even trying to overturn some of the laws they have recently passed. I don't think we have any chance of getting this law overturned in the next thirty days, Harry, especially not without a new Minister. As much as I would say not to give in to the power-hungry man who calls himself Minister, I think you should consider going along with the new requirements."

"You can't be serious! When I marry it will be out of love, not because I was forced to by a stupid law!" Harry objected. Mysteriously, Dumbledore chuckled at Harry's outburst.

"Harry, you forget. You are already in love. You already have a wonderful young woman at your side to whom you've promised to marry one day. Perhaps this is the impetus you both need to finally take that final step."

"But…" Harry began, but he couldn't come up with a good comeback to that argument.

"Harry, from what I've seen, you and Miss Granger, no Hermione, are perfectly suited for each other. You and I both know that you will marry one day, probably sooner rather than later. You also know that in the end, you want only to spend the rest of your life with her. This is your chance to deny the Minister his ambitions towards your estate, and begin your life anew. If given the choice, I know which one I would make."

"So you really think I should do this?" Harry asked once more for clarification, not believing that he was actually considering proposing before he turned fourteen.

"I speak not as your Headmaster, but as a grandfather. Harry, this is what you want. You know that. For once, do something for yourself, do what will make you happy. You've lived one unhappy life too many, but you've been given a second chance. Take advantage of it while you can."

Harry nodded and sat in the chair for a few minutes silently. He pondered over what Dumbledore had suggested. While it seemed wrong to give in to Fudge, this law had apparently been crafted without consideration to the fact that Harry may actually have someone to marry. The only sacrifice he would have to make to render this law useless would be to marry Hermione a few years earlier than he had anticipated. The real problem he still faced was Dan.

Harry made a quick trip to Diagon Alley and Gringotts after thanking Dumbledore for his advice. After visiting his vault, Harry returned to Potter Manor. Sullenly, he walked into the family room, where Dan and Hermione were still sitting, waiting for Harry to return. From the look on Dan's face, Hermione had explained the situation to him, but the look on Hermione's face was harder to read.

"Mione, will you excuse us for a while, please?" Harry asked. Hermione looked at Harry with what looked to be tears in her eyes before nodding and walked out of the room. After she had left the room, Dan and Harry sat in silence. Finally, Harry broke the silence nervously.

"Sir, I think we need to talk," he began.

"I see. And what would we need to talk about, Harry?" Dan replied.

_Damn, he isn't going to make this easy, is he? He's going to make me spell everything out for him,_ Harry thought.

"Well, I take it that Hermione explained the situation with the new law regarding the ancient houses?" Harry assumed. Dan nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Harry's. Harry gulped. "Well, I just got back from talking with Grandpa about the whole matter. He says that there is no chance of getting this new law overturned before it would take effect, which leaves us between a rock and a hard place.

I'm going to be frank with you. I love Hermione, and I have for years. But for one issue, I wouldn't hesitate to ask her to marry me and put this whole thing to bed." Dan's eyes widened. "Erm, poor choice of words," Harry said quickly. "I don't want to rush her. I don't want to make Hermione think that they only reason I am asker her to marry me is because I want to keep my family assets. That's not the case. When I marry her, I want it to be for all the right reasons. So you can see my predicament, can't you sir?"

Dan sighed. "Harry, I'm not even going to try to be the intimidating father this time. This has gotten too serious to play around with. But I want to ask you something. You saw how Hermione looked when you came back in here. Can you figure out why? It's because she feels rejected. She told me so after you left. You left to go see Dumbledore for advice about what to do, which made her think that the option of marrying her was not your first choice. You hurt her, Harry.

But more to the point, she loves you. She _wants_ to marry you. She doesn't care that you are physically young, she knows that you've known each other for over a decade and she's ready. So don't think that you are pressuring her into anything here, Harry. Now, will you ask me what you _really_ came here to ask me?"

Harry swallowed visibly before he spoke. _How was he able to cut so well to the heart of the matter?_ Harry thought. "Sir, I'd like your permission to ask Hermione for her hand in marriage." _There it is,_ he thought, _it's all on the table now._

Dan appeared to mull it over for a moment. "Harry, if it was anyone other than you, I wouldn't hesitate to say no. But I've grown to know and respect you over the past few years. I know the kind of young man you are and have noticed that you've treated my daughter with nothing but complete respect and love. I know you'll make an excellent husband for Hermione, and in the future…far, far, in the future, a good father. So, yes, you have my permission."

Harry sighed in relief and stood to shake Dan's hand. But when Dan grabbed Harry's hand, he didn't shake it, but pulled Harry into a hug. "Go find her, son," he said simply in Harry's ear. That was all the encouragement Harry needed.

A/N: I'll end this one here. I hope it is a little better for some of you than the last chapter was. You may be wondering why I haven't gotten rid of Fudge yet. Well, I have a plan for him in a few chapters, so he will remain in power until then. Now onto the other issue. One thing that I've seen a lot of in these types of fics is Harry and Hermione getting married at an early age, due to a number of circumstances. That was one thing I was wanting to avoid. However, in my mind, they are much older already, and this new law has only given them the push they needed. Now, I don't know how good I am at writing romance, as there is a little difficulty in critiquing one's own work. At any rate, please leave feedback. It will be a few days before I can update again though.


	16. For Thou Art With Me

Chapter 16

For Thou Art With Me

Harry left Dan in the family room to go look for Hermione. Naturally, he went to the library first. After all, if there was one place Hermione Granger would go for solitude, it would be the library. Pushing open the large oak doors, Harry surveyed the room, both upstairs and downstairs without finding a trace of Hermione. _That's odd_, Harry thought. _Whenever Hermione wanted to hide at Hogwarts, she would always bury herself in a book in the library._

Deciding that he had to look elsewhere, Harry climbed the stairs to the third floor where the bedrooms were situated. Finding the door to Hermione's room closed, Harry slowly pushed it open only to find this room empty as well. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see something on Hermione's bed. Moving closer, he found it to be a photo album full of wizarding photos from their first three years at Hogwarts. Harry hadn't realized that Collin Creevy had followed them around so much.

What really caught Harry's attention though was what was in the valley between the two open pages. It was the promise ring that Harry had given Hermione for Christmas the year before. Harry bit back the tears as he picked up the ring. It had not left Hermione's finger since the day he had given it her. Clutching it in his fist, Harry was filled with a new sense of determination to find Hermione.

"Dobby," Harry called. The house-elf appeared in front of Harry. "Do you know where Hermione is?"

"Harry Potter's misses is asking Dobby not to say where she is. Misses saying that she wants time alone," Dobby replied.

"Dobby, please just tell me where she is," Harry pleaded.

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir. Harry Potter's misses made Dobby swear not to say where she is."

"Thanks a lot, Dobby," Harry grumbled. Dobby brightened up at the faux gratitude, obviously not understanding the sarcasm. He then disappeared.

Harry wandered around the house searching every room until he had covered every square inch of the Manor. But still he had found no sign of Hermione anywhere. There was only one place she could have gone: outside. But the grounds of Potter Manor were so expansive it would take all day to find any trace of her. So Harry did the next best thing. He grabbed his Nimbus 2000, walked out the front door, and took off.

Harry flew slowly to allow himself time to think. He now realized he had made a mistake rushing off as soon as he heard about the new marriage law without even talking about it with Hermione. Instead, he had left to try and find a way out of it. _Nothing shows I love you more than trying to get out of marrying you,_ Harry thought sarcastically. Upon further reflection, he couldn't really blame her for feeling rejected. While that was the last thing he meant, that is what he conveyed. Now he was reaping the fruits of that mistake.

After flying around the grounds for several minutes, Harry spotted her. She was sitting against a tree far from the house, head bowed. Silently, Harry descended until he landed several feet away. Slowly, he approached her. Without saying a word, Harry sat down next to Hermione on the ground.

"Hey," he said simply, with a touch of sympathy in his voice.

"Hey," she replied back, without a hint of emotion. "Harry, I'm not really in the mood to talk right now."

_Fine, if she doesn't want to talk, then I'll do all the talking,_ Harry thought. "Listen, Hermione, I didn't mean for that to happen the way it did. It was foolish of me to run off as soon as I heard. I realize that now. You're right, I did go to Grandpa to find a way out of this mess, but not for the reason you're thinking," Harry began.

"Really? What other reason could you possibly have Harry? Yes, it was and is wrong for Fudge to try to force you to marry. But you were given an opportunity to make good on the promise you made to me last Christmas, and instead you try to weasel out of it," Hermione retorted testily.

"When it was announced that I had to marry to keep my family's assets, I panicked. Honestly, I thought that if I asked you then and there, you would have thought I was rushing things. I gave you that promise ring for a reason, Hermione, and I intend to keep that promise. But I also know I told you we would get married when we were old enough, and I didn't think you wanted it yet," Harry admitted.

"Harry, we've known each other for how long? Thirteen years all together. I think we've waited long enough. If you had turned to me and proposed then and there, I would have jumped into your arms and cried in happiness. Don't you think for a moment I wouldn't be ready."

"Then why did you take the ring off?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "I thought you didn't want to get married," she answered honestly. She looked back up into Harry's eyes. "I mean, what other conclusion was I going to draw? That you stormed out of the house in anger just to get a ring?" Harry's mouth twitched slightly into a smile, but he was able to restrain it before she noticed.

"You know, Hermione, I brought that promise ring here with me. But I need to apologize now. I can't give it back to you." Harry stood up, leaving Hermione sitting on the ground, tears beginning to fill her eyes. Harry saw the tears and knelt down in front of her, grabbing her hand. "I'm sorry, but I can't promise that one day in the future I will ask you to marry me. Because that day is today. Hermione Granger," he began, pulling out a box from his pocket, "will you marry me?"

Harry opened the box to find an three-stone emerald engagement ring that he had picked out of his vault earlier in the day. Hermione took one look at the ring, and then another at Harry's eyes, naked with emotion, before grabbing his face in her hands and placing a long kiss on his lips. Breaking the kiss, Hermione whispered in his ear, "Yes."

Harry's face broke into a broad smile as he stood and pulled Hermione into a bone crushing hug. They stood in each other's embrace for what seemed like hours, reveling in the moment. But as the sun began to set, the two turned towards the Manor, intent on walking the distance with each other.

"Harry, where did you find this ring?" Hermione asked, taking another look at her newest piece of jewelry.

"It was my mums," Harry replied. "I found it in my vault, and as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for you." Harry grabbed Hermione's hand with his own and allowed the two to swing between them as they walked.

"Hermione, I'm sorry I made you think that I didn't want to marry you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just didn't want you to think I was only doing it because I was being forced to. When I proposed, I wanted it to be on my terms, at the right time. But now that I think about it, this was the right time. I just couldn't imagine life without you. We've essentially been together for over a decade, and I know you better than anyone else. I love you more than you could ever know Hermione Granger. Or should I call you Hermione Potter?" Harry joked.

"Not yet, Harry. Not yet," Hermione replied. "But it was partly my fault," she said more seriously. "I should have known you better than that, and I overreacted. You wouldn't have cast me aside like that, but I jumped to conclusions, and for that _I'm_ sorry. I love you too, Harry Potter." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wait, do my parents know?" she panicked.

Harry began to chuckle. "Do you really think I would do something like this without talking with your father first? I have a feeling he would castrate me if I asked you without going through him. Yes they know. Or at least your dad does, but I think by now he's already told your mom."

The two walked in comfortable silence for the rest of the journey. They entered the house through the back door and found Dan and Emma sitting in the family room. Emma took one look at their intertwined hands and the glittering ring on her daughter's finger and squealed like a teenager. Hermione and Emma began chatting excitedly between themselves, and Harry stole a glance at Dan, who gave him a sincere smile. Maybe he wouldn't get castrated…yet.

* * *

Later that day, Potter Manor was paid a visit by Albus Dumbledore and his fiancé Minerva McGonagall. Emma couldn't keep the good news to herself, so she graciously took it upon herself to let everyone know that he baby girl was getting married.

As soon as Dumbledore stepped out of the floo, he wrapped Harry in congratulatory hug. "Great job, Harry. I knew you'd make the right choice," he said before releasing Harry. He then stepped over to Hermione and hugged her. "And Miss Granger, it appears I will have to change how I address you from now on. How about just Hermione?" he asked.

"That'll be great, Professor," she replied with a smile.

"Oh, please. You have to call me Grandpa too. It wouldn't be right for Harry to be able to and you not to."

McGonagall arrived next and Harry and Hermione were again treated to a round of hugs. "Congratulations, both of you. I couldn't think of a more perfect couple. Well, actually, I take that back," she admitted, glancing over at Dumbledore. She sat down on one of the couches, and the rest of the group followed suit.

It was now Dumbledore's chance to turn the tables on Harry and Hermione. "Have you put any thought into a date yet? It has to be within the next thirty days, according to the law," he asked.

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, words passing unspoken between them. Hermione was the one to voice what they had been thinking. "Actually, we were, um, hoping that you, um, wouldn't mind if we, um…"

"Just spit it out, Miss Granger," McGonagall said in her teacher voice.

"We were actually hoping you would be willing to have a double wedding," Hermione said finally.

McGonagall scowled. "You mean you want us to share _our_ wedding day with you?" she asked in a low voice. Hermione slumped down in her seat, trying to appear invisible. Suddenly, McGonagall brightened. "That's a wonderful idea. Miss Granger, erm…Hermione, I've always seen you as the daughter I never had. Of course it would be okay with us to have a double wedding." Dumbledore looked a little confused, but McGonagall elbowed him. Immediately his face changed and he began to nod furiously with a huge smile on his face.

Emma squealed again hearing this news, but was this time joined by Hermione. The two, followed by McGonagall, retreated into the kitchen to begin planning the wedding, leaving Harry, Dan, and Dumbledore alone in the family room.

"Are you really okay with this, Grandpa?" Harry asked.

"Of course, my boy. Anything Minerva wants must be the right answer. But on a more truthful note," he smiled, "I couldn't imagine anything more perfect than sharing my wedding day with family, in a literal sense. It would only make the day that much more memorable."

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Grandpa. But I have a request." Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted in curiosity. "It's only fair, as you did the same to me. I would like you to be my best man."

"Harry, as honored as I would be to fill that role, I'm afraid it wouldn't be the best idea. You have a friend who I'm afraid you've neglected as of late. Young Mr. Malfoy was sent home at the end of term as I could not legally keep him from his family. However, I fear for his safety in the wake of Tom's return."

Harry pondered this for a moment. It was true, he was slipping back into his old habit of ignoring Draco. True, he and Hermione shared a special bond that made them a unique unit within the Trio, but that was no excuse to break up the three. He would need to rectify that.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said, getting up from his seat. Dumbledore nodded with a knowing look in his eye.

Harry found a blank piece of parchment and a quill and began to write his letter.

_Dear Draco,_

_I'm sorry I haven't been in contact with you lately, it's just that things have been really hectic with the Ministry's campaign against me. I was wondering if you wanted to come and visit us here at my place in the next few days. Just write me back so I know you are coming (and where to come to, as I don't know if this letter will be intercepted, and our location is a 'secret'). Hermione and I have some good news to share with you, and we'd like it if you could be here to hear it._

_Harry_

Harry looked over the letter once more and couldn't think of anything he wanted to add, so he tied it to Hedwig's leg and sent her off to find Draco. He then returned to the family room to find Dumbledore explaining the workings of Hogwarts to an enthralled Dan.

"So wait, you're saying that the staircases move?" Dan asked incredulously. Dumbledore chuckled.

"That they do, Mr. Granger. That they do. Such is the way of things in the world of magic. There will be many surprises in Hogwarts, it would be best to leave some of the mystery in place until you arrive," the Headmaster replied.

Dan grudgingly complied as he saw Harry walk into the room. He glanced at Harry with a look of curiosity, a look which was not lost on Harry.

"I was just writing a letter to Draco, asking him to come and visit in the next few days," he explained.

"Ah, very good Harry," Dumbledore said. "But I should warn you that his father is likely to be much more mischievous and cunning now that Tom has returned. I would watch what you write to young Mr. Malfoy. No matter how trustworthy he is, his father is not, and could intercept your letters."

"I thought of that, and didn't put where we were. I said that would come later."

"Well done. Now onto other matters. Harry, you remember discussing the events of the Triwizard Tournament with me?" Harry nodded. "Due to recent events, I have found it necessary to withdraw Hogwarts from participation in the event. As the Ministry does not see Voldemort as a threat, they have not found it necessary to call for the cancellation of the tournament all together."

"That's outrageous!" Harry exclaimed. "They'll be sitting ducks! Think about it. What better place to attack than a public spectacle full of hundreds of innocents, especially at the final event. It would be a bloodbath and they aren't even going to prepare?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately not. You see, Durmstrang and Beuaxbatons have bought into the Ministry story hook, line, and sinker, to borrow a muggle phrase. There is little we can do to change their minds."

"Wait, there is something we can do. Why didn't we give pensieve memories of the battle to the Ministry in the first place?" Harry asked.

"Because we knew it wouldn't change Minister Fudge's mind. Once he is set on something, it is very hard to change his mind," Dumbledore replied.

"But what if we give our memories to Madame Bones at the DMLE? While the Minister wouldn't believe the memories, the _Ministry_ would. I can't believe I didn't think of this before, we were too shortsighted and focused on Fudge himself. We could be killing two birds with one stone. Give our memories to the Ministry and they would recognize that Voldemort has returned. When Fudge continues to deny it, he only distances himself from the rest of the Ministry, including the Wizengamot. Soon, he is seen is ineffective, and is ousted. How could we have been so stupid not to do this before?"

"You know, Harry, you amaze me time and time again," Dan interjected. "I can't say I've understood everything that has gone on with this whole political battle in the magical world. I'm still learning how things work. But politics is one things I do know, and what Harry just said makes sense. You could destroy a corrupt politician and save lives in the process. What's not to love there?"

"I see your point, Harry, and I agree with you that we should have done this long ago. When we are done here, I will arrange an appointment with Madame Bones," Dumbledore said.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Harry replied. "We can't stand by and wait for something to happen to Fudge naturally. We have to take matters into our own hands."

"While we're on the subject of taking matters into our own hands, Harry, is there anything else we need to take care of to prevent any dire events from transpiring? I know your knowledge of the future is decreasing, as things slowly change, but we need to work with what we have."

"Well, let's see. In the Room of Hidden Things in the Room of Requirement, there is a vanishing cabinet, whose brother is in Borgin and Burkes. In my original timeline, Draco Malfoy tried to repair the cabinet and allow Death Eaters into Hogwarts, but we stopped him. (A/N: Remember, story is AU after OotP). I think in order to prevent that from happening again, we need to neutralize the cabinet.

Also, there is the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries." Seeing the confused look on Dan's face, Harry was forced to explain. "There was a prophecy made before I was born that said that I was the only one to defeat Voldemort. Basically, either I must kill him, or he will kill me. I later found out when I was sent back that the prophecy was 'leaked out' so that it was known that there would be a savior, or a person to defeat Voldemort. Voldemort tried to get the prophecy in my fifth year, and we were able to stop him. However, Sirius died in the ensuing battle.

We also still have Nagini and Hufflepuff's cup to deal with as Horcruxes. Unfortunately, we have no lead on where either of them is at this point, as Voldemort broke Bellatrix Lestrange out of prison so that she could raid her vault at Gringotts for the cup. It could be anywhere by now. That's all I can think of right now. There's more, I'm sure, but for now, those are the most pressing issues I can think of off the top of my head."

"Do you have any ideas on how to go about dealing with these issues, Harry?" Dumbledore pressed. "I have a few myself, but I am most interested in seeing what you think."

"Well, is anyone up for a little trip tomorrow?" Harry asked. "It'd be a great experience for you, Dan, and Emma. I was thinking of a little shopping in Diagon Alley, with a stopover at the Ministry of Magic to see how our government works. It should prove most…educational."

Dumbledore immediately caught on. He wasn't known as the greatest wizard in the world for nothing. "An excellent suggestion, Harry. I shall see what my schedule looks like for tomorrow and accompany you."

* * *

Early the next morning, just as Harry was waking, Hedwig flew through his window with a letter attached to her leg. Untying it, Harry gave his owl a treat before heading to his desk and unrolling the letter. It was from Draco.

_Harry,_

_Sorry that this will probably wake you up. Could only write at night. Father is trying to get me to take Mark, but I refuse. I don't know what to do, he uses Cruciatis every time I refuse and comes back later to give me another chance. I'll try to get over there when he's not looking, but I'm not sure when that will be._

_Draco_

Harry placed the parchment on his desk and sat back thinking. He had to do something. While in his previous life, at least for a while, he would not have put it past Draco to take the mark. But now he knew that the young Malfoy was not like his father. He just didn't know how many more "chances" Lucius would give Draco. Glancing at the letter one last time, Harry noticed something towards the bottom that he had missed the first time. A small droplet. Looking closer, Harry realized what is was. Blood. He had made up his mind.

Tiptoeing down the hall, Harry arrived at Hermione's door. Slowly, he turned the handle and opened it. Inside, he could see a familiar mass of bushy hair against the blankets on the bed. Quietly, Harry walked over to the bed and sat down lightly on the side.

"Hermione," Harry said softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes so that the rising sun could wake her naturally. "Hermione, please wake up." She moaned. _At least that's a response_, Harry thought.

"Mione, I need you to wake up, please," Harry pleaded. Slowly, Hermione's eyes fluttered open.

"What, Harry?" she groaned. "What's so important that you had to wake me in the middle of the ni…it's morning?"

"Yeah," Harry responded. "But I need you to get up. We have to take care of something important."

Hermione sat up in her bed, clutching the blankets to her fully clothed chest. "What is it? What's wrong? Is it mum and dad?" she asked worriedly.

"No, it has nothing to do with them. It's about Draco. I sent him a letter yesterday asking him to come and visit, and I got a response from him this morning. Basically, he says that his father is breathing down his throat to take the Dark Mark, even though he is really young. Draco refuses, and as punishment, Lucius uses the Cruciatis curse on him. He's torturing his son for not going dark. We have to go an get him."

"Harry, are you kidding? That's kidnapping…again," Hermione protested, remembering the events of the previous summer.

"And what else do you propose we do? Let him die there? I don't think so. Mione, please. You know its the right thing to do as well as I do."

Hermione thought on this for a moment, albeit a very brief one. Finally, she threw off the blankets, revealing to Harry that she was wearing only a long nightshirt. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, then I'll go with you," she announced.

Ten minutes later found Harry and Hermione both dressed and moderately clean after a quick shower. They walked quickly down the stairs only to find Dan and Emma both also dressed for the day and waiting for them.

"Let's just say you forgot to put a silencing charm on your room," Dan explained with a smirk. "Fortunately, I didn't hear anything I would regret. But we did hear what's going on, and we're going with you."

"Are you sure? We're going to the home of a bona fide Death Eater," Harry warned.

"Please, Harry. We got to know Draco last summer, and we don't like what's happening to him any more than you do. We're going with you whether you like it or not," Emma said with a tone of finality.

Harry sighed in resignation. "All right. But be forewarned. You two aren't as advanced as Hermione and I. Yes, you've had some training, and can hold your own in a duel. But at the first sign of trouble, if we tell you to, you make a break for it, is that understood? I don't know if Malfoy Manor will have anti-portkey wards in place, so I'm not sure if your pendants will work. If all else fails, return to the floo, or call Dobby. He can apparate through the wards and can take you back here."

Dan and Emma both nodded in comprehension. "I'll go first," Harry continued. "Dan and Emma, you will floo in next, and Hermione will come last to cover the rear." With that, Harry walked into the sitting room and took a handful of floo powder. He stepped into the fireplace and threw it down. "Malfoy Manor," he announced, and was gone.

Harry reappeared in what looked to be a library, or personal study of some sort. It was decorated in a dark manner, with shelves made of wood stained black, and completely black furniture, including a desk and chair. If not for the sun peeking in through the closed drapes, Harry would have thought it was the middle of the night.

Glancing around the room, Harry found that it was empty, and the only door in the room was closed. Harry stepped away from the fireplace just as it flared up again, this time depositing Dan onto the floor. Harry smiled as he remembered how long it took him to get used to the floo. Another moment later, Emma appeared, followed closely by Hermione. Once they had all arrived, all four drew their wands and approached the door.

Wand at the ready, Harry eased the door open and peered out. He found himself in what appeared to be a hall, but open on one side to the downstairs foyer with nothing but a row of black wooden bars as a barrier. Looking down, he saw that he was on the second floor of what appeared to be three. He opened the door completely and stepped out, followed closely by the other three. They could see that there were three other doors within sight on this floor, so they walked to the first one.

Inching it open, Harry found what appeared to be a restroom. "Just the loo," he whispered to the others. They then walked to the next door, which was open. Inside was a room that made Harry decide that the room they arrived in must be a study. It was the library. Roughly a little smaller than the one at Potter Manor, this one was decorated in the same style as the rest of the house. _They must really have a theme going here,_ Harry thought. _Fits 'em though, as Slytherins._

The last door on the floor opened into what looked to be the trophy room. On the wall, there were an assortment of magical creatures who had presumably been slain by Malfoys. There were also a series of large leather chairs in the room situated around a fireplace. Harry closed this door upon realizing that it was empty.

"Upstairs," Harry mouthed and pointed, indicating that they should look there next. Slowly, the quartet crept up the stairs, finding a completely enclosed hall covered in green and silver wallpaper. _Man, when they choose a theme, they really go all out,_ Harry thought to himself.

There were five doors situated on either side of the hall, with one at the very end. The first three doors yielded empty guest rooms. The next was another restroom. Finally, they tried the last door with the exception of the one at the end of the hall, only to find it locked. Harry silently cast the unlocking charm and opened the door.

Inside, he found a messy, dimly lit room that had almost nothing in it, save a small bed and desk. There were several small blood stains on the floor, as well as on the sheets of the bed. Creeping forward, Harry found a quivering figure curled up in a ball on the bed, with nothing but a thin sheet to cover him. Harry's heart wrenched. What he saw before him was almost a mirror image to his life at the Dursleys after he received Dudley's second bedroom in his first life. Now he knew he had made the right decision to come here.

Slowly, he approached the figure and tenderly removed the sheet, exposing the prone form of Draco Malfoy, dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers. Scars littered his back, and bruises ran up his arms, neck, and down his back again. He also seemed to be wheezing as he lay there. Emma, seeing that she would be better suited here than Harry, sat down on the bed next to Draco as Harry had to Hermione earlier in the morning.

"Draco, sweetheart, wake up," she begged, lightly running her hand over his head.

"No, leave me alone," Draco muttered, obviously still half asleep.

"Draco, its Mrs. Granger, Hermione's mum. We're here to take you with us," she explained softly.

"No you're not. It's a trick. A trick to get me to wake up so you can curse me again."

"Draco, just open your eyes and you'll see that we're telling the truth. You sent a letter to Harry today about what's happening here. We're here to help."

Slowly, Draco's eyes opened and for the first time, he realized who he was really talking to. Then, as the realization began to take hold, his eyes widened in fear. He frantically looked down at his state of undress, which exposed his injuries, and quickly wrapped the sheet around himself, grimacing in pain as he did so.

"It's alright, Draco," Emma comforted. "You don't need to hide it anymore. We know what's been going on. Can you walk?" Draco nodded slowly. "Do you have any clothes you can wear?" Again he nodded. "Okay. We're going to turn around and let you get changed, but then we need to leave, alright?"

"Okay," Draco said softly. Emma rose from the bed and joined the others, who all turned and faced towards the door to give Draco a semblance of privacy. After a moment, he signaled that they could turn around, and they did so to find Draco in a pair of black jeans and a green t-shirt. Or at least what passed for a t-shirt in the wizarding world.

"Do you have your wand?" Hermione asked. Draco shook his head.

"It's in father's study downstairs in the desk. He locked it in the top drawer. Without a wand, I can't unlock it," he explained.

"That's where we came from, so we better get going," Harry whispered. On this note, all five people in the room began to file out. Harry led, followed by Emma this time, with Draco in the middle. Dan followed him, and Hermione was last, again. A moment after Draco passed through the door out of his room, the door at the end of the hall flew open, revealing a furious Lucius Malfoy, wand at the ready.

"Trying to sneak out with the mudblood and mudblood lover? You're no son of mine!" he spat.

"Dan, Emma, run! Take Draco!" Harry ordered. On cue, those three broke from the pack and ran down the hall.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lucius shouted, taking aim at the fleeing figures. The curse rocketed towards them, but Harry expertly summoned one of the decorative vases that rested on a table in the hall and sent it into the beam. The vase exploded near Lucius, sending shards of porcelain raining in his direction. The Death Eater ducked out of the way, giving Harry and Hermione a few seconds to run down the stairs. Bursting into the study, they found the other three frantically escaping via floo. Harry handed a slip of parchment with the address of Potter Manor to Draco before he disappeared.

Hermione turned to the door. "Colloportus," she intoned. The door glowed for a brief moment. "That should buy us a few seconds."

As she cast the locking spell, Harry was already magically unlocking the top drawer on the desk. He quickly rifled through the things there and found Draco's wand. As soon as he grabbed it, he heard the sound of banging on the other side of the door. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and they both entered the fireplace that the last of the others had just vanished from. They had never tried to floo with two people before, but they were about to try. Both of them grabbed floo powder and threw it down at the same time, saying their destination. The last thing they saw in Malfoy Manor was the door to the office being blown open and a furious Lucius Malfoy bursting into the room.

* * *

Harry and Hermione tumbled into the sitting room at Potter Manor, landing in a heap on top of each other. They were slow to get up, both dizzy from the experience of two people using the floo at the same time. As they rose, the found that Dan, Emma, and Draco had all arrived safely as well. Emma was sitting next to Draco on the couch, while Dan appeared to have been pacing, waiting for the other two to arrive.

As soon as Harry and Hermione had recovered, Draco looked Harry square in the eye. "Why didn't you kill that bastard?" he asked angrily.

Harry was stunned. "Wait, you _wanted_ me to kill your father?" he asked.

"After what he's done to me, yeah, I did. Why didn't you?"

"I, uh, well…it just didn't occur to me at the time. I was more concerned with getting you out of there safely. I guess I didn't want you to have to see your father killed. It would just make things worse," Harry admitted.

Draco sighed. "Well, what's done is done. Just do me a favor. Next time you see him, don't kill him."

"But I thought you just said-" Harry started.

"I want you to leave him for me," Draco interrupted, finishing his original thought. "Yes, he is my father, but in blood and name only. Dan…er, Mr. Granger here treated me more like a son during those few months than my father has my entire life."

"Well, we may not be able to kill him now," Hermione said, "as that house is probably swarming with Death Eaters by now. Good thing this house is protected by the Fidelius charm. But anyway, we may not be able to kill him, but we can weaken him in other ways. Draco, do you have any access to your family vault?"

"Well, yeah. But what are you…oh." Draco broke into a smile. The Slytherin in him was beginning to appreciate Hermione's line of thinking. Harry had also picked up on the idea.

"Good thinking, Mione. Draco, we were planning on taking a trip to Diagon Alley later today anyway. We had a few errands to take care of, so I think a stop over at Gringotts wouldn't be that difficult," Harry said. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that it was now just after seven in the morning. "For now, I think we should have you looked over by Madame Pomfrey. We have to meet with Grandpa anyway, so it would just be better to floo on over to Hogwarts and take our breakfast there, while having you checked out."

Everyone agreed to this idea and once again the floo at Potter Manor became active, this time sending five people to the Hogwarts Headmaster's office. After greeting Dumbledore and explaining that they needed to get Draco to the hospital wing, the group hurried out of the office. On the journey to visit Madame Pomfrey, Dan and Emma were flabbergasted by what they saw, including the moving staircases, animated portraits, and they even ran into Sir Nick along the way, who almost made Emma faint.

They arrived at the hospital wing in what seemed like record time. Poppy appeared out of their office when they walked in.

"Mister Potter, I get enough of you during the school year. Now you have to come and pester me during the summer too? What did you get yourself into this time?" she asked impatiently.

"It's not me, Madame Pomfrey," Harry explained. "Its Draco here." He jerked his head towards the blonde teen, who was by now clutching his side after the long trip from the Headmaster's office.

"Well, let's sit him down and have a look, shall we?" They did so and the school nurse pulled out her wand and began a diagnostic spell. A light blue glow surrounded Draco for a few seconds before dissipating. A moment later, a slip of parchment appeared in Madame Pomfrey's hands. She looked at is and gasped.

"It appears Mr. Malfoy has been subjected to repeated uses of the Cruciatis curse in the last twelve hours. I also detect two broken ribs, which would be the source of his trouble breathing. Those I can fix easily. The aftereffects of the Cruciatis, however, I can do nothing about. You should experience residual tremors for the next twenty four hours before they vanish completely." She then waved her wand over Draco while muttering an incantation. Draco's hand left his side, and the nurse nodded in satisfaction.

"That should do it. But I also see a large amount of scarring from past injuries, as well as a number of bruises. I can do nothing for the scarring, but I have also taken care of the bruises. I am curious, Mr. Malfoy, what caused these injuries?"

At that moment, the doors to the hospital wing swung open and a distraught Dumbledore walked in. "I will explain later Poppy. For now it is imperative that Mr. Malfoy does not return home ever again. I fear for his safety there. What I saw when you arrived in my office made that clear to me, so I believe we need to find a more permanent home for Draco here," Dumbledore said gravely.

"We can deal with that, later Grandpa. For now, we were going to take our trip to Diagon Alley. Were you still up for joining us?" Harry asked.

"I can think of no better way to spend my time. Especially since, I assume, Mr. Malfoy will be accompanying you?" Harry and Draco nodded. "Excellent, then I shall join you as well. If there was nothing else, Poppy, we can depart from my office. Oh, by the way Harry, I almost forgot. I arranged a meeting with Madame Bones for later this afternoon. I figured since you were already planning on visiting the Ministry today, it would be wise to combine trips. Good thing I agreed to come with you then, isn't it? I would have forgotten completely."

The group made their way back to the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle opened without a password, as it appeared that none was in place during the summer. They then used the floo to travel to the Leaky Cauldron. The first stop was Gringotts, in order to deal the blow that Hermione had devised earlier. Draco approached the counter as soon as they entered, flanked by his protective detail.

"I'd like to make a withdrawal from the Malfoy vault," he requested. The goblin behind the counter looked him over carefully before speaking.

"Did you have your key?" the goblin snarled.

"No," Draco replied. "But you could just take a sample of my blood to prove my identity. That's how they always do it, anyway." The goblin nodded at this before producing a piece of parchment and a small knife. With a deftness that showed he had done this before, Draco pricked his finger and placed the bloody tip to the parchment. The parchment glowed briefly before the goblin snatched it back and examined it.

"I'm sorry sir, but it appears that you no longer have access to the Malfoy family vaults or assets," the goblin explained. He then pulled out another piece of parchment and read it over. "It seems as though Mr. Lucius Malfoy performed the disowning spell this morning. Technically, you are no longer a Malfoy."

Draco slumped his shoulders in knowing defeat and turned to the others and walked out of the bank. Once outside, Emma spoke.

"What did that creature mean, no longer a Malfoy? Just because you've been disowned doesn't mean you lose your name," she asked. Seeing a similarly confused look on Dan, Harry, and Hermione's faces, Dumbledore decided an explanation was in order.

"In the magical world, a father, or head of house, can disown a member of the house by performing a complex spell. As soon as it is performed, any reference to the disowned party's existence as a member of the family is erased. Take Draco here for example. When Mr. Malfoy performed the spell this morning, as the goblin said, all records at the Ministry of Magic pertaining to Draco Malfoy were erased. His access to the Malfoy vaults was revoked, and he lost all rights as heir to the Malfoy line. In essence, Draco Malfoy no longer exists, and has been replaced by just Draco."

"But that's inhuman!" Emma exclaimed. "He's his son! He can't just abandon him like that!"

"Remember, Emma, Lucius is a Death Eater," Harry interjected. "He sees everything through the prism of Voldemort. So when Draco refused to join him, Lucius lost any esteem he still held for his son. In his mind, Draco abandoned him, not the other way around. While I'm not trying to defend him, in his twisted world, that's how it is."

"Well, what do we do now?" Dan asked.

"Fortunately Hogwarts has redundant copies of all Ministry files for all current students. The spell would not affect those due to the heavy wards that surround the school. In Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy still exists, but only on paper. Other Slytherins would hear of this and not consider you a Malfoy. You would be an outcast in your own house."

"More than I already am," Draco muttered.

Dumbledore smiled grimly at hearing this. "At any rate, there are really only two courses of action. One would be to allow Draco to continue to live without belonging to a family. Unfortunately, this would make finding employment impossible, as most wizarding establishments do not employ a person without a house."

"What's the other option?" Harry asked, not liking the sound of the first one.

"The second one would be to find a house for Draco. As he is a wizard, the Ministry would not allow his adoption into a non-magical or first-generation magical house. That would seemingly eliminate the Grangers who, while now magical, are first-generation magic users." Dumbledore turned to Harry. "That leaves only one option really. While we could search for a magical home that would take him in, I'm sure that Draco would feel out of place there. Harry, you hold the title of Lord Potter. As such, you can induct people into your house and make them members of your family, and even your heirs. While the final decision is up to you, I would encourage you to seriously consider extending such an invitation to Draco. You may be the only family he could go to."

Harry swallowed visibly. Draco's future was now up to him. In his past life, he wouldn't have given it a second thought and would have refused. However, in this life, he had gotten to know the young man as more than just a junior Death Eater, and had become friends with him. Harry looked at Draco.

"How about it Draco? Is that what you want?" Harry asked.

"I don't really have another option, do I? I'll be an outcast, shunned because my father disowned me. As much as I have always identified myself as a Malfoy, and even though I was proud of my name, if not my father, that is not who I am anymore."

"Draco, consider this seriously," Dumbledore advised. "If you accept, you will become Draco Potter, and Harry would be your head of house. For all intents and purposes, as head of your house, Harry would in all sense of the word, except for in blood, be your father. Legally he would be responsible for you until you turn seventeen, as a father would be, and as head of your house, he would be responsible for your actions and safety."

Draco looked between Harry and Dumbledore carefully. He looked to mull it over for a moment. "I'll do it. I trust Harry with my life already, what else would this change. Besides, he couldn't be much worse than Lucius, could he?"

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "If that is your choice, Harry, I need you to grasp Draco's hand. Oddly enough, making a person a part of your family is much easier than removing them from it. With your other hand, take your wand and point it at Draco. All you have to say is, 'I welcome you, Draco, into the House of Potter.'"

Harry grabbed Draco's hand like he was about to shake it. He then pulled out his wand and pointed it at the blonde. Finally he was ready.

"I welcome you, Draco, into the House of Potter," Harry said. As soon as he finished, a stream of white light left Harry's wand and fell to Harry and Draco's joined hands. It snaked around them, binding them together, before tightening. Harry and Draco felt the tightening sensation, but after a moment it was gone, as was the white light.

"Is that it?" Harry asked Dumbledore. The old wizard nodded. "Good." Harry turned to Draco to shake his hand for real this time. "Welcome to the family…son." Draco rolled his eyes at that last word. Harry, along with the three Grangers and Dumbledore, smiled at the reaction. It was done. The person who was once Draco Malfoy was now Draco Potter.

The group glanced around to find that they were still out in the open near Gringotts, but the Alley was quite quiet, mainly due to the fact that it was still early in the morning. Carefully, they made their way down to Knockturn Alley, and shop 13B, better known as Borgin and Burkes. An old bell over the door rang as the six entered, calling out the grimy shopkeeper. Mr. Borgin looked suspiciously at his patrons before speaking.

"What do you want," he asked unpleasantly.

"Well that's no way to talk to a customer," Harry chided. Hermione giggled behind him.

"I'll talk to people in _my_ shop however I want. Now what do you need?"

"We're looking for a vanishing cabinet. I was told that you had one for sale here, and we're interesting in collecting various artifacts from the last war. Do you have one?" Harry asked.

"Maybe. What's it to ya?" the creepy man asked.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I want to _buy_ the cabinet, not just look at it. If you have one, we will pay. If not, we'll just take our business elsewhere." Harry made a show of beginning to turn to leave. Just as he approached the door, he was stopped.

"Wait. Yes I do have one cabinet, but its badly broken," the shopkeeper admitted.

"Good. Then you wouldn't have any problem parting with it for a reduced price. After all, if it's broken, it's just taking up space, isn't it?" Harry responded.

"Yes, but vanishing cabinets are very valuable. I couldn't let this one go for say, less than five hundred galleons," Borgin replied.

"Well, that's a shame," Harry said. "I came in here only prepared to spend three hundred. I guess this shop is too overpriced. Maybe one of the larger shops in Diagon Alley would be able to work with us better?"

"Fine, four fifty." Borgin offered.

"Three seventy-five, and that's my final offer," Harry said firmly. The owner seemed to think it over for a moment.

"Alright, you have a deal. Just take the thing and get it out of here."

"Gladly," Harry said, pulling out a check. He conjured a quill and wrote the check for the exact amount before handing it to Mr. Borgin. The group was then shown to the back of the shop where the cabinet rested. Harry inspected it before pulling out his wand and shrinking the cabinet down to fit in his pocket. Satisfied with his purchase, Harry left the shop, followed by the other five.

Once they were back in Diagon Alley, Harry finally spoke. "Well, that's one errand down for today," he explained. "Now nobody can use that cabinet to worm their way into Hogwarts. We'll just find a spot for it at the house, and maybe repair it so that _we_ can get to the school easily." He then led the way back to the Leaky Cauldron, where the party had lunch at Harry's expense.

Over lunch, Harry decided to break the news to Draco. "Draco, the real reason that I asked you to come and visit Hermione and I was because we had some news to share. We're getting married." Draco's eyes bugged out. "Remember that new law that was passed requiring all heads of houses to be married within a month? Well that was the final push that we needed. Actually, we're having a double wedding with Grandpa and Professor McGonagall on the sixth of next month."

"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted, "since she will soon be related to you, I think it would be acceptable for you to call Minerva by her first name in private. In school settings, you must still refer to her as Professor, as you do with me. But in private, you may call her Minerva. The same goes for you Draco. You may call me Albus in private."

Harry smiled at this. "Anyway, as I was saying, we are going to have a double wedding that we will share with Grandpa and Minerva. Draco, I was hoping you would be my best man for the ceremony. I'm serving as Grandpa's, but I would like you to be mine."

"That'd be great, Harry," Draco said with a grin. But it quickly faded. "What does the best man do?"

Harry laughed. "You have to stand up there with me during the ceremony. I will be with Grandpa here, but in a different position as we will be having a joint ceremony. You also give a toast, and you throw me a bachelor party." Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was glaring at him. "On second thought, maybe we shouldn't have the bachelor party." Hermione's face brightened and her look changed to one of triumph.

"Oh, before I forget," Harry began, "we're going to have to use the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic. That means we have to go through London. Grandpa, I hate to say it, but you will stick out like a sore thumb dressed like you are." Dumbledore looked down at his sparkly purple robes with silver trim. Sadly, he pulled out his wand and transfigured his robes into a smart black muggle business suit. Harry also inconspicuously pointed at his chin. Getting the idea, Dumbledore used his wand to shorten his beard into a neatly trimmed one, and also shortened his hair to about an inch long. Harry took in the new Dumbledore. Dressed and groomed as he was, he could easily pass for an older business man in his sixties.

"Harry, I've been meaning to ask," Dan suddenly spoke up. "I thought you were able to do magic without your wand. But when we went to the Malfoy's you used your wand several times. Why was that?"

"You're right, Dan, I do know some wandless magic. Grandpa taught me some in my past life. However, wandless magic is notoriously difficult. You have to practice and master each spell one at a time without a wand. I chose a few that I knew I would use the most. The most useful was the summoning charm, which comes in handy if you are ever disarmed. You can then summon your wand back. I also learned the Patronus charm, as I always seem to find Dementors no matter where I go. I also learned a few others as well. But for the most part, I do need a wand still." Harry looked at the clock on the wall inside the pub. It was half past eleven. "Looks like we should get going. The walk to the ministry will take almost an hour from here."

The group collected their things and Harry paid the tab before they left through the London entrance. The walk to the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic took just over forty-five minutes. Finally, they found the telephone booth that served as the entrance. Harry entered it first, followed by Hermione. Eventually all six of them were able to fit into the booth, through some feat of magic that amazed even Harry. He entered the code on the phone before the operator's voice came over the speaker.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business." One by one all of the occupants of the phone booth answered the prompt.

"Harry Potter, appointment with Madame Bones and visit to the Department of Mysteries."

"Hermione Granger, appointment with Madame Bones and accompanying Harry Potter."

"Dan Granger. I'm with them."

"Emma Granger, tagging along with Harry and Hermione."

"Draco Ma- Potter. I'm also here with Harry and Hermione."

"Albus Dumbledore, appointment with Madame Bones and visit to the Department of Mysteries."

Six visitor's passes were spat out of the phone, one for each of the visitors. All of them included the business stated, with the exception of Dan's, Emma's, and Draco's. Dan's and Draco's said 'sidekick' on it, while Emma's said 'lost puppy.' Sneaking a peek at his wife's pass, Dan began to chortle.

"Lost puppy, oh that's rich!" he exclaimed.

The lift descended into the ground, and after a moment, the group was deposited in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Dan and Emma were in awe of the spectacle that was the atrium, while the other four almost yawned in boredom. They had all been there before.

After shaking the elder Grangers out of their stupor, the group made their way to the second floor, which housed the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which was headed up by Amelia Bones. Dumbledore had explained that they had an appointment for twelve thirty, which was only about five minutes away. The six sat down in a small waiting room outside her office and waited to be summoned inside. They did not have to wait long.

After only a minute of sitting, the door to the office opened and Madame Bones ushered her visitors inside, closing the door behind them.

"Thank you for being so punctual. You have no idea how hard it is for some people to be on time for their appointments. Oh!" she exclaimed, looking at the group. "I'm sorry, I only expected three visitors." She pulled out her wand and conjured up three more chairs, making a total of six on the side of the desk opposite her. "Now that's better. What can I do for you? Albus, you made it sound urgent."

"It is, Madame,' Dumbledore began. "I'm sure that you are no doubt aware of the allegations that Voldemort has returned, and the fact that the Minister refuses to acknowledge any evidence supporting that." She nodded tentatively. "Well, we've come today to provide pensieve evidence supporting our claim. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and myself were all present and witnessed Voldemort's presence. We no longer wish to fight a public relations battle against the Ministry, and are wanting to put this behind us."

Madame Bones leaned forward on her desk, with her chin propped up on both hands. "So you're telling me that you've had evidence supporting your claim of the return of You-Know-Who, and you never came forward with it?"

"That's right, madam," Harry answered. "To be frank, we thought that our battle lay not with the Ministry itself, but with the Minister. It is, after all, he who is the most outspoken against us. We viewed him as more of a threat, and didn't even bother to think of trying to get the Ministry on our side. But we've now had a change of heart."

"I see. Just a moment," Bones replied. She then got up from behind her desk and walked through a second door in the office. She returned a moment later carrying a pensieve in her hands. She laid it down on the desk and sat back down. "Now I am well aware that it is incredibly difficult to forge a pensieve memory. However, I am also aware of the signs of such a forgery. As I watch this memory, I will be keeping a close eye out for those."

Dan and Emma had watched Madame Bones come out of the back room with a bowl, which she had placed on the desk. Neither one of them had said anything, but the head of the DMLE saw the confused looks on their faces.

"Are you two muggles?" she asked patiently. Neither one of them answered, and looked to Harry instead.

"Yes and no. Madame Bones, I trust that whatever goes on in this office is strictly confidential?" Harry assumed. She nodded in response. "They were muggles. However, we discovered a method for transferring magical power to them, and they now have magical capabilities, with a power rating of fifty. However, they are completely new to the magical world and are still learning about parts of it. They will be attending Hogwarts in the fall to help in that."

The director's eyes grew large. "You made muggles magical? You can bet your life that won't leave this room. If that method made it public, you could have muggles hunting magical people for their power, or someone would find a way to turn what you have done for good, into evil. I won't tell a soul."

"Thank you, madam," Harry said sincerely.

"Now back to the subject at hand," Bones said. "This is a pensieve. You can use your wand to withdraw a memory from your head and place it in this dish. The pensieve allows for memories to be viewed by multiple people at the same time, in a way that makes it as though you are truly there. You may participate in today's viewing if you'd like," she offered. Both Dan and Emma seemed excited at the prospect.

Harry pulled out his wand and placed it to his temple. Slowly, he withdrew a long, silver tendril of a memory and placed it in the shallow dish. Once it was done, he looked up.

"It's ready now," Bones announced, more for the Granger's benefit than anyone else's. All seven occupants of the room stood and watched as Harry and Madame Bones dove into the memory, followed closely by the other five.

The seven found themselves in the graveyard in Little Hangleton just as Harry regained consciousness after being knocked out by Barty Crouch, Jr. They watched as Lucius performed the ritual that brought Voldemort back to life, as well as the torture of Harry and subsequent death of Severus Snape. Finally, they saw the battle, in which Harry failed to make a dent against the Dark Lord, but in which several other Death Eaters were captured.

As the memory ended, the seven pulled out of the pensieve and sat back down in their seats. Emma looked mildly frightened by what she had seen, while Dan had a resolute look on his face. Madame Bones, on the other hand, had a calculating look on her face.

"This is very troubling. While I was not expecting someone like yourself to provide a forged memory, I was hoping you would. Every fiber of my being was hoping that you were lying and You-Know-Who had not returned. I suspect the other two memories are the same?" Madame Bones asked. Hermione and Dumbledore nodded. Amelia Bones sighed.

"I'll ask that you both turn those in as well. But unfortunately, there is only so much I can do. I can try to increase our recruitment of Aurors, but Fudge has slashed our budget. We either get fewer well-trained Aurors or more poorly-trained ones. Either way, it's a wash. Also, I can't just make a public declaration that You-Know-Who is back, as that would cost me my job."

Harry piped in. "Couldn't you announce that there is an investigation underway into the allegations of his return, spurred on by the arrival of new evidence? That would get people thinking. Then you could show the memories to others within the Ministry behind the scenes, sowing the seeds of discontent."

Bones was aghast. "You're talking about a coup! I will not be a party to an attempt to overthrow the government!"

"Would you rather be a party to the overthrow of the entirety of magical Britain? You yourself have seen the evidence, and you know Fudge will deny it to the bitter end. You know Voldemort's back and that nothing will be done about it. If you do nothing, you _are_ aiding in our downfall," Harry challenged.

Madame Bones was a career woman. She had worked her way up from an Auror to the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement through hard work and knowing the right thing to do at the right time. But she was loyal to the Ministry. However, being loyal to the Ministry at this point meant going against the Minister.

"Alright, I'll do what I can. I'll admit, I can do more behind the scenes than I can do publicly," she admitted.

"What's your budget for the year for Auror recruitment and training?" Harry asked. There was a moment of silence as the head of the DMLE rifled through some parchment on her desk. Finally, she pulled out one and glanced it over.

"About two million galleons per year. That also includes a starting salary of ten thousand galleons per Auror, per year. We only have roughly one hundred and fifty Aurors on staff, and the rest of the budget each year goes to pay for training. But with only five hundred thousand galleons per year for that, we can only afford to train ten new recruits per year. It's a very expensive process, and we have to turn away dozens each year because of a lack of funding," she said.

"But I thought the Daily Prophet said that you could have a force of three hundred if need be," Hermione asked, remembering the article from the other day.

"Yes, that's true, but that also includes all reserve Aurors, who are in essence, retired. When an Auror retires, they are on reserve duty for another ten years. We have about another one hundred and fifty who are in that category. But they don't receive regular pay each year, but a Ministry pension from another department," Madame Bones replied.

"Say a person wanted to make an…anonymous donation to the DMLE. How would they go about doing it?" Harry asked mischievously. Bones' eyes brightened.

"Well, to borrow a muggle phrase, it would have to be under the table. The Minister could not find out. If the head of the DMLE was aware of it, the donor could pay her, but that would be contingent on whether or not she agreed with the donor," Bones responded slyly. Harry pulled out another check.

"Madame Bones, I am writing this check for one million galleons. I don't want any objections. I can afford this. Would that be enough to get you started in bolstering Auror numbers?" Harry asked.

"Absolutely! We could train another two hundred Aurors with that much money! But why are you doing this?"

"I have no desire to see Fudge throw away the future of the wizarding world. He is corrupt and incompetent, and his hesitance to do anything will only harm us in the long run. Take the money, do what you can with it. The only stipulations I put on this gift is that you keep it anonymous and you spread the word through the Ministry that Voldemort is back. Can you do that?"

Bones nodded her head in amazement at the young man before her. He had a greater grasp of current events and the workings of the world than any other fourteen year old she had ever met. She looked at the check in front of her and gave a silent thanks for that fact.

"Thank you, Lord Potter for this gift. And you can trust that I will do what I can to make sure the Ministry is ready when the time comes."

"That's all I ask," Harry responded simply.

* * *

Harry and his entourage left Amelia Bones' office with a good portion of the weight on their shoulders lifted. They now knew they had someone in their corner in the Ministry who was working towards their goals. If she did her job correctly, the Ministry would soon turn on the Minister from the inside out, causing problems for Fudge.

Their next stop was the ninth floor of the Ministry of Magic, which housed the Department of Mysteries, and more specifically, the Hall of Prophecies. They entered the long, dimly lit hall, which was filled with tall shelves full of glass orbs. As if on autopilot, Harry made his way through the shelves to a familiar one that he had not seen in years. He reached up and grabbed what appeared to Dan, Emma, and Draco, as just another one of the orbs. But this one held special significance to Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore, all of whom had learned the contents of the prophecy and had seen it in this place before. Harry then pulled the stand from the shelf and transfigured it into a small pouch, in which he put the prophecy.

Looking around to make sure they had not been spotted by anyone they shouldn't have, Harry led the group back out of the Hall of Prophecies. Once they were back in the atrium, he turned to Hermione. "Well, that was certainly easier than last time," he joked.

Finished with their business at the Ministry of Magic, the six used one of the public floo's to return to Potter Manor. The first thing Harry did upon returning home was to march up to the library and find an empty corner. Once there, he pulled out the miniaturized version of the vanishing cabinet and laid it in the corner before enlarging it back to its original size. He returned downstairs to find Hermione, Dan, Emma, Draco, and Dumbledore in the family room.

"Well, wasn't that a productive excursion?" Harry asked, earning a few forced laughs. When it was silent again, Harry spoke. "Dobby."

The house-elf appeared with a pop in front of the group. "Master Harry Potter is calling Dobby?"

"Yes, Dobby. Draco here is now a part of the Potter family. Lucius disowned him. So I would like you to make a room ready for him in green by tonight." Dobby made a move to do it now. "You don't have to do it now, its only two o'clock in the afternoon. But if you could have it ready by nine tonight, that would be great," Harry requested.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Welcome to the family, Master Draco," Dobby said graciously before disappearing.

"You bonded with Dobby?" Draco asked incredulously once the house-elf was gone.

"Well, hired actually. Mione wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I bonded with him and didn't pay him," Harry answered. Hermione shot him an angry glare. "And it would be wrong, too," Harry added quickly.

"Grandpa," Harry added. "I keep forgetting to let you know. During my first fifth year, Delores Umbridge was appointed to the position of DADA teacher. She was a completely incompetent teacher, who placed no emphasis on practical learning and used devices of torture for punishment during detention. As a result, Hermione and I started an underground defense club that we used to _really_ teach students. For a number of students, it took the place of the DADA class as the real place where they learned. I just wanted to let you know about it now, because I have a feeling that I will need to start it again this year with the toad teaching again."

"Hmm, an interesting proposal, Harry. I assume that you wish to keep this secret again this year, in order to protect me from any potential damages?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded. "I see. Well, I do not have a problem with that, because after all, what I don't know, doesn't hurt me, does it? But I do have one suggestion. In the face of the mounting darkness that we face, it would be best if you could muster a large number of students, from all houses and teach them, so that we as a school are ready for every possibility. To that end, I suggest that you take the exam at the Ministry of Magic to get your certification for a mastery in defense. From what I've seen, you could pass the test easily. But having that extra slip of parchment would greatly add to your credibility with other students."

"That's a great idea, Grandpa. But why do I get the feeling that you have something else in mind for me needing this mastery, besides running the club?"

Dumbledore rose from his seat on the couch. "Well, Harry, it has been a most enlightening morning. However, I have a great deal of work to do, and Minerva is probably wondering where I've gone to. I'll just take my leave of you now." Harry laughed at Dumbledore's abrupt ending of the conversation, but didn't pursue it any further. Dumbledore then made his farewells before returning to the fireplace and using it to travel back to Hogwarts.

The remaining denizens of Potter Manor whiled away the hours of the day with mundane tasks such as reading and playing chess. Hermione and Emma worked on some of the details of the wedding, and planned on running their ideas past McGonagall when they saw her again. Dobby, despite Harry's insistence, had Draco's room done only a few minutes after Harry asked him.

Later that evening, Harry took Draco to the third floor and led him to a door that was next to the Grangers on one side of the hall, and directly across from Hermione's. Harry's was at the end of the hall, as the master suite had been in Malfoy Manor. Opening the door to the room, they found a room that was almost identical to Hermione's, with a large bed, adjoining bathroom, and spacious closet. As Draco only had the clothes on his back for now, Harry let him borrow some of his, and promised that they would go shopping the next day to replenish his wardrobe.

Harry and Draco returned downstairs to find that Dobby had prepared dinner for them. After the meal, which Draco made a point to thank Dobby for, much to Hermione's pleasure, the group retired to the family room. It was not long before they were joined by a guest.

"Hey, cub," Sirius said as he strode into the room. Harry jumped up and hugged his godfather tightly. "What's this I hear about you tying the knot?"

"Well, Hermione and I thought it would be best to get married now, especially with that new marriage requirement for heads of houses. Speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask. Who are you going to marry?" Harry asked.

"Good question. Honestly, I haven't even begun to look. But that's probably since, if you looked close enough at the law, you'd see that it only applied to underage heads of household. Since I'm over the age of seventeen, it doesn't apply to me," Sirius answered. "So, tell me. When's the bachelor party?"

Harry laughed. Leave it to Sirius to get right to the heart of the matter. "Actually, we decided not to have a bachelor party," Harry said.

"What! No bachelor party? Come on, cub. It's what every guy does before they get tied down. I remember the one we had for your father. Granted, your mother wasn't too happy with him the next day, but there was this one witch…" Sirius was cut off by Harry clearing his throat.

"There are two reasons. One, Hermione didn't like the thought of having a bachelor party. But second, and most importantly, I'm not getting tied down. Or at least, I don't see it that way. It's not a chore for me to marry Hermione; far from it in fact."

"Fine, have it your way. But if I had my way, we'd have the greatest party this side of Mardi Gras." Seeing the amazed looks on Harry and Hermione's faces, Sirius laughed. "What? You didn't think I knew about Mardi Gras? There isn't a party I _don't_ know."

Harry and the rest continued to talk aimlessly with Sirius for over an hour before their guest excused himself and returned home. Seeing that it was getting late, Harry went off to bed, kissing Hermione good night on the way. He glanced at Dan as he did so, only to see that his face was completely devoid of a glare, but was instead a look of approval.

With Harry gone, the rest of the group went their separate ways to bed as well soon thereafter. Draco retired to his new, Slytherin colored room, while the others returned to their usual beds. It was lights out in Potter Manor at ten.

* * *

The next three weeks passed in a blur, with the occupants of Potter Manor engaged in a flurry of wedding preparations. Harry and Hermione had settled on a small guest list that included Remus, Sirius, Draco, Dan, Emma, Hagrid, Flitwick, and a few others such as the Longbottoms. Of course, Dumbledore and McGonagall were invited as well, as it was there wedding too. Amelia Bones, in her official capacity as head of the DMLE, was to preside over the ceremony.

During this period, there were also a number of reports in the Daily Prophet about the efforts at the Ministry to prepare for an attack by Voldemort. There was an article about increased Auror recruitment, as well as one stating that satisfaction with the Minister within the Ministry was at an all-time low. This was about all Harry could have expected, as the Ministry was still, at least publicly, supporting the opinion of Minister Fudge.

As promised, Harry and Hermione had taken Draco out into the muggle world to go shopping for clothes, as well as Madame Malkin's in Diagon Alley. This was not the last time that the Potters or the Grangers would visit this shop. They would return there several times over the course of three weeks to be fitted and purchase dress robes for the wedding, as well as Hermione's wedding dress. Hermione and Minerva had agreed to buy similar dresses, in order to fit in with the theme of a double wedding.

All too quickly, August 6, 1994 dawned. Harry had withstood Sirius's many attempts at getting him to go along with a bachelor party, and as a result, he awoke sober on the morning of his wedding. The ceremony was scheduled to begin at three in the afternoon, giving all parties enough time to get ready.

Harry, Draco, and Dan left Potter Manor for Hogwarts first, at about ten in the morning, leaving the women behind to do what Dan called 'their womeny things.' When they arrived, they found a team of Hogwarts house-elves hastily putting the final touches on the outdoor decorations. It had been decided to go with a simple, low-key affair, which fit perfectly with the short guest list. There was a large white pergola decorated with white flowers. This was to be where both couples stood.

In front of the pergola sat two rows of chairs, enough for all of the invited guests, plus a few extra. There were two rows of six chairs, split down the middle for a small aisle. The entire setup was positioned near the front gates to Hogwarts, on a large patch of grass. The pergola faced the doors to the school, with the rows of chairs between it and the doors. The aisle between the chairs was aligned perfectly with the doors so that the brides could exit the school in a dramatic fashion.

The males set up their camp in Gryffindor tower, and spent the time before the wedding wandering around the school and testing the limits on the Room of Requirement. Harry still thought it would be the perfect place to hold the DA during the coming year. At about two in the afternoon, they returned to the tower and began to get ready, changing into their dress robes and trying to do their hair. The last part for Harry was a loosing battle, as the harder he tried to get his hair under control, it only got worse. Finally, with a half hour to go before the start of the ceremony, the three made their way down the corridors of Hogwarts towards the front doors. They met up with Dumbledore, who was dressed in remarkably subdued black dress robes with a tie that made them look like a long tuxedo. The trio of Harry, Dumbledore, and Draco exited the school at two forty-five, and took their places as dictated by the itinerary, leaving Dan inside the school to await his daughter. It had been decided that he would be the one to give away both brides, as Minerva had no living relatives.

Finally, as huge Hogwarts clock struck three, Emma arrived and took her seat and the doors to the school opened, and a female house-elf began to walk down the aisle, tossing flower petals out of the basket she was carrying. At first Harry thought that the elf was Winky, but then he remembered that Barty Crouch, Sr. still owned her. As the elf reached the front of the chairs, she vanished with a pop, and the bridal march began to drift through the air of Hogwarts, apparently without a source. The doors of the school opened again, this time to reveal three figures, two clad in white, the other in black.

Dan had one bride on each of his arms, and they slowly walked down the aisle, in tune with the music. As the song ended, they arrived at the altar, which was set up under the pergola. The music stopped, and Madame Bones stepped forward, and began to recite the words that accompanied the muggle ceremony that had been chosen.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Harry James Potter to Hermione Jean Granger and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore to Minerva McGonagall. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. Who gives these women to be married?"

Dan stepped forward. "I do," he declared, before giving Hermione a kiss on her forehead and Minerva a hug. He then sat down next to his wife, who was beginning to get teary-eyed. The two brides then took their places next to their respective fiancés. Madame Bones then continued.

"Ultimately there comes a time when a decision must be made. Two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble…because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

Harry and Hermione, Albus and Minerva, today you choose each other before your family and friends, to begin your life together. For all the tomorrows that follow, you will choose each other over and over again, in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you, as you learn and grow together. Experience the wonders of the world, even as patience and wisdom calm the restless nature. Through your partnership, triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you always find a safe place to call home."

At this point, Dobby came down the aisle, dressed in a tiny tuxedo, and carrying two small pillows; one in each hand. He carried them up to the altar and let Harry pick from one, while Dumbledore picked from the other. Madame Bones turned to look at each of the two couples.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, and you, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, take Hermione Jean Granger, and Minerva McGonagall, to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Harry and Dumbledore said instantly. The two then slipped the rings they had received from Dobby onto the hand of their respective bride.

"Do you, Hermione Jean Granger, and you, Minerva McGonagall, take Harry James Potter, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

Both brides answered at the same time, "I do." They then pulled out rings of their own and placed them on the finger of their groom.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Bones announced. Harry swept Hermione into a passionate kiss, while Albus and Minerva's was more reserved, but no less loving. Sirius could be heard whooping in the background, earning a light laugh from the audience.

The two couples turned to their friends and family. Madame Bones stood between them. "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Harry and Hermione Potter, and Mr. and Mrs. Albus and Minerva Dumbledore. Congratulations." The crowd erupted in applause as the two couples stepped out from under the pergola to the waiting spectators.

It had been decided that there would not be a separate reception, but that the new couples would stay outside with their guests and house-elves would serve refreshments outside.

Dan stepped up to Harry as he walked out from the altar. He offered his hand to the younger man. "Congratulations son," Dan said warmly.

"Thanks Dan," Harry said with a wide smile on his face.

"Harry, you're my son-in-law now. Call me dad." Harry smiled at the man, and his eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. He had never had anyone he could call dad before. The little gesture by Dan meant the world to him, and from the look on the older man's face, he knew it.

Harry joined his wife, who was with her mother. "Congratulations you two," Emma said tearfully. But both Harry and Hermione could tell that they were tears of happiness. "I just never thought I'd see the day when my little girl finally got married, but here we are." Harry and Hermione talked with Emma for a few minutes more.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the crowd, the other couple was being congratulated by the other guests. Hagrid had boomed his congratulations to the Headmaster and his new wife, while on the other end of the spectrum, Filius Flitwick has squeaked his. Remus moved between the two parties, offering pleasantries to both couples, while Sirius raided the refreshment table. After he had had his fill, he went over and wrapped Harry and Hermione in a tight hug, and congratulated them both.

Draco had stood by on the side, watching the entire reception from a distance. He got the feeling of family and warmth from the proceedings, but he felt out of place in such a situation. He had never had a family that hugged him, or up until a few years prior, any friends who treated him with the warmth that Harry and Hermione, or Albus and Minerva were experiencing now.

Harry saw Draco out of the corner of his eye and walked over to him. "Something wrong, Draco?" Harry asked.

"No, not really," the blonde replied. "I just feel out of place here. I know I'm now family, but I'm not used to this whole situation." Harry turned around to see Minerva Dumbledore hug Hermione Potter. Instantly, he knew what Draco meant, and he walked over and stood next to him.

"I know what you mean. Draco, for twenty years I didn't have any real family that I could turn to, and in the end I realized I only had one real friend. The only family I had ever known hated me and treated me like an outcast. I was called a freak and beaten for accidental magic. I didn't know a _real loving home until I met Hermione's parents here. They made me feel like I was part of a family, even if Dan wanted to kill me several times over. The point is, it doesn't matter what your past is like. What matters is what your future holds. Don't hold onto your past demons and use them as excuses. That will only take you so far, trust me. You have been given a new chance at life, and I think you should make the most of it." With that, Harry walked away, leaving Draco deep in thought._

Harry returned to the reception and chatted animatedly with Remus, while blushing at a number of insinuations made by Sirius about what happens after a wedding. Harry quickly glanced around to make sure Dan wasn't within earshot of Sirius. He sighed in relief when he realized he wasn't.

About ten minutes later, Harry had finished greeting all of the guests and had had a short conversation with all of them. He an Hermione made their way to the refreshment table, where they grabbed some hors d'oeuvres and took in the sight of their wedding. Then Harry saw something that made the day get that much better. Draco was mingling in the crowd, talking with Professor Flitwick. And from the looks of it, Draco was really into the conversation. Harry would have to ask him about it later.

"You know," Harry began, turning to his new wife, "today has actually given me the two things I've wanted more than anything."

"What's that, Harry?" Hermione asked knowingly.

"Well, first is you. But you knew that already," he said with a wink, and gave Hermione a small peck on the cheek.

"What about the second?"

"A family," Harry answered simply.

* * *

Five days later, on August eleventh, while Harry and Hermione were relaxing after their wedding, Cornelius Fudge sat in his office at the Ministry of Magic, wondering what had gone wrong. He had just tried to get an amendment to his marriage law passed, making it illegal for anyone under the age of seventeen to claim a head of house position. But the Wizengamot was being less than cooperative lately, and refused to pass the change.

To make matters worse, the Daily Prophet had run a poll that said that less than twenty percent of the magical population in Britain had a favorable opinion of him. He was losing control of matters quickly, and he needed an infusion public support quickly if he was to survive politically. Suddenly, he realized what he had to do. Everyone approved of education, so if he made a show of wanting to improve the education at Hogwarts, he could gain in everyone's esteem. He had already appointed Delores Umbridge to the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but it had not been publicly announced yet. The Board of Governors for Hogwarts had approved his choice unanimously, with some pressure from Lucius Malfoy. That meant that Dumbledore couldn't do anything about it. All he had to do now was hype up his appointment and he would gain political capital.

The next morning, Fudge walked out into the atrium in the Ministry of Magic and stood at a podium in front of a gaggle of reporters. At his side stood a toad-like woman in a white cardigan. She looked like a giant marshmallow.

"Thank you all for coming this morning. As you are all aware, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has had a number of less than stellar teachers for Defense Against the Dark Arts in recent years. Last year, a known werewolf was employed, endangering students, while in the prior year, the professor came forward to announce that he had not accomplished any of his purported acts, and that he had stolen them from others. I believe it is time to end this trend. To that end, today I am pleased to announce the appointment of Delores Jane Umbridge to fill the vacancy in that position.

At the same time, I am happy to announce an overhaul in the Defense curriculum. Professor Umbridge will be in place to supervise the carefully structured, Ministry approved curriculum, and will make sure that it is followed. Much research has been done in the Ministry as to the best teaching methods, and we have concluded that…"

Suddenly, Fudge was interrupted by the appearance of a trio of Death Eaters in the atrium. Amidst the panic they caused, a fourth figure appeared as well, earning a collective gasp from all present. Lord Voldemort had appeared in the Ministry of Magic.

The snake-like figure stepped up to Fudge. "It really isn't polite to say that a person doesn't exist when they aren't even allowed to defend themselves. Well, now I'm here to defend myself. Avada Kedavra!"

A flash of green erupted from Voldemort's wand, and struck Fudge square in the chest. The Minister of Magic slumped to the ground, dead. Screams erupted from the audience, and members of the press ran towards the public floo fireplaces to escape. Umbridge tried to flee as well, but as she waddled away, she was hit in the back by another killing curse. She was blasted into the Fountain of Magical Brethren and her dead figure lay in the water, face down.

Most of the press corps managed to escape, however more than a dozen bystanders were also killed in the ambush. In the end, fifteen lost their lives to killing curses, all because Voldemort had an ego and wanted prove he was back.


	17. The Cogs Begin to Turn

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I spent some time working on the outline for later parts of the story. Also, I had some difficulty writing the beginning of this chapter. I just couldn't seem to write it to where it sounded believable and not just a contrived plot point. When I started writing this story, I had a long list of things I wanted to cover, and various events and things I wanted to do. I also knew where I wanted the story to end, and began to work backwards. The events in this chapter are necessary to get us to the end of the story. But that is a long ways away. This is just the beginning of something I've wanted to have happen for a while.

Also, I dealt with the death of Fudge and Umbridge a little more here. The reviews were split about killing them off, so I will explain a little more. This is not the Voldemort of canon. This is my Voldemort, and I wanted to characterize him more as a terrorist than as a scheming mastermind who strokes his pet cat from James Bond. I found it to be both easier to write and more pertinent to current events. However, there are even more motives behind the character of Voldemort that I'm not ready to go into. That is for much later in the story.

Anyway, please, please, please review. I can't get any better if I don't know I'm doing anything wrong. I'm thinking of writing more stories after I finish with this one, and I have a few ideas already developing in my head, but I want to hear from you at the same time. If any of you are interested in beta-ing this story, please let me know. Having a beta will only help me improve. As a reminder, I do not own Harry Potter, nor will I ever.

Chapter 17

The Cogs Begin to Turn

**Voldemort Ambushes Ministry! Fudge Dead!**

_Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was assassinated today in a surprise attack on the Ministry of Magic during a press conference. Minister Fudge had called the event to announce his choice for the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Senior Undersecretary Delores Umbridge had been unanimously approved by the Hogwarts Board of Governors._

_During the attack, Lord Voldemort along with a handful of followers appeared and killed Minister Fudge and Undersecretary Umbridge in a brutal display. More than a dozen members of the media and Ministry employees were also killed in the attack. Madame Amelia Bones, as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and also the highest ranking department head, has been appointed interim Minister._

_No word on who will fill the vacancy at Hogwarts. With less than three weeks to go until the start of term, prospects for finding a qualified teacher look grim…_

Harry looked up from the top story of his paper, the Daily Prophet, and into the eyes of his wife sitting across from him in the sitting room at Potter Manor. It had only been a few hours since the attack on the Ministry of Magic, yet the Daily Prophet had rushed out an afternoon edition of the paper to cover the breaking news. Dan, Emma, and Draco were also in the room, and had just finished listening as Harry read from the article.

It had been nearly a week since their dual wedding with Albus and Minerva Dumbledore, but the peace that had surrounded them during that time had been shattered with the surprise attack by Voldemort on the Ministry of Magic. In anticipation of Umbridge taking over as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Harry had scheduled his exam for a defense mastery at the Ministry for the Tuesday of the following week. After taking some well-deserved time off following their wedding, Harry and Hermione had gotten down to studying for the test. Naturally, the concept of an impending test was all the motivation Hermione needed to become a rigid taskmaster.

Harry had decided that Dumbledore was right, he needed all the help he could get with regards to the DA. As a result, he agreed that it would be in his best interest to be certified as a Master of Defense, as it would increase his credibility with the student body and help recruit more students. However, it all seemed like a moot point now that Umbridge was dead. She wouldn't be around to ruin their DADA education.

Suddenly, the floo flared up and deposited the form of Albus Dumbledore in the sitting room. Harry had called him just a few minutes before, and was told that the Headmaster would be over to visit shortly. The old wizard took a seat on the couch opposite Harry and glanced at the newspaper that was now laying on the table between them.

"Ah, Harry. I see you've heard the news," the Headmaster inferred. Harry nodded in response. "It is indeed troubling to say the least."

"Albus," Hermione began, "I didn't think Voldemort would kill Fudge. I mean, he wasn't doing anything to stop him, so why kill him?"

"That, my dear, is what is so troubling. I've always known that Voldemort was mad, but I never thought it was this bad. Combating Voldemort has always seemed to be one large game of chess. It may still be so, but this time, he has started the game much differently. I can only assume he has adopted a new strategy: bringing fear to the masses. The seemingly random attack on the Ministry today is proof of that."

"So you're saying that he's turning into nothing more than a common terrorist?" Dan asked.

"More than likely, yes," Dumbledore replied. "I fear that Voldemort, knowing he doesn't yet have the strength he had before, will fall back on making random attacks to spread fear amongst the wizarding public. He will try to make them believe he is stronger than he actually is. The terrifying part of it is, we have no way of combating these attacks until it is too late. Since they are random, at least to us, we have no way of doing anything other than simply responding to them as they occur."

"Then what _can_ we do?" Draco asked. He had become somewhat more outspoken since his and Harry's talk at the wedding.

"That, Mister Potter, is an excellent question, and one I have spent not a little time contemplating, even since before the attack today. This attack though has forced me to modify some of my conclusions, but I have definitively reached two. First, we must leave all responses to these…terrorist attacks, as Mr. Granger so eloquently put it, to the Ministry. With the appointment of Madame Bones to the position of interim Minister, Alastor Moody has been recalled to lead the Auror division. Their old head, Kingsley Shacklebolt, has been made head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. With Alastor at the helm, and Harry's 'donation,' the Aurors are in better shape than they've been in a long while. They have greater resources and manpower than we can muster, so it makes sense to leave day to day operations to them.

But what can we do? Therein lies my second conclusion. We all know that Harry is destined to be the one to finally kill Voldemort. But I believe that in order for that to happen, we must first meet him on the battlefield. Eventually, under the cover of these random attacks, Voldemort will be able to rebuild his ranks and will be at full fighting strength once again. We must do the same. We must build our own army, so that when the time comes to wage war, we will be ready."

"And how exactly will we go about doing that? Turn the students of Hogwarts into our own personal military?" Harry asked skeptically. "It's all well and good to want to build an army. It's actually a great idea. But I don't see how it can be done."

"Harry, you've unwittingly answered your own question," Dumbledore said, smiling. "You've described to me what you were able to accomplish with your 'Dumbledore's Army' in your past life. You were able to turn a collection of students into a fighting force able to hold their own against trained Death Eaters in a desperate battle. I've decided that your idea to implement that same program again now deserves to be taken to the next level. When I initially drew up a short list of names for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, I wanted someone with great combat prowess and skills, as well as someone with extensive experience fighting against Voldemort and his followers. There were three names on that list. Alastor Moody is out of the question now that he is in place as head of the Aurors, and Remus Lupin is well positioned as the editor of the Daily Prophet to sway public opinion. That left only one name: yours. Harry, I'd like you to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You've got to be joking. Nobody would take me seriously; I'm just a student. And a fourth year at that. The public would go ballistic about the decline in education that allows a student to become a professor, while the other students wouldn't respect me; least of all the older ones."

"On more than one occasion, you've shown your prowess in Defense, Harry. Need I remind you of your little duel with Mr. Weasley this past year? Or of your score in Professor Lupin's power test? Those, coupled with your natural celebrity for defeating Voldemort thirteen years ago, gives you a great deal of respect amongst the student body. I believe you only need to pass your defense mastery examination to gain theirs and the public's respect completely."

"He's got a point, Harry. I know how you hate to use your position as a celebrity, but this would be the perfect way to use it. Your position as the Boy-Who-Lived already grants you great latitude, and I think this would be a great use of it," Hermione added.

"I guess you're right," Harry conceded. "I could just run the class like I ran the DA."

"That's exactly what I was hoping you would say," Dumbledore said. "Actually, I was thinking it might be better if both you and Mrs. Potter take the exam together. You could then teach the class as a team. You both have more than enough experience to qualify you. Over the course of two lifetimes, and battling Voldemort in both of them, I believe you've both acquired enough experience and skills to make you more than capable of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Hermione nodded. "I like it. I mean, I love teaching others something new…"

"You mean, showing others that you know more than they do," Draco interrupted playfully.

"As I was saying," Hermione continued, glaring at Draco, "I like teaching others. If at the same time we're able to get Hogwarts ready for an attack and teach the students to better prepare themselves, all the better."

"The first thing to do for now is for you to take the exam at the Ministry of Magic next week as planned," Dumbledore explained. "After you have received your results, we will discuss the nest step."

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore took his leave of the group. Left alone again, the residents of Potter Manor sat silently, contemplating this latest development, before Draco spoke.

"Merlin, Harry! You're going to teach Defense!"

Harry laughed. "Thanks for reminding me Draco. I didn't actually realize what Grandpa said the entire time he was here," he said sarcastically. "But it is kind of overwhelming to think about it, that I'll admit."

"Don't worry, Harry. If it gets that far, you know I'll help you," Hermione added soothingly. These words seemed to release a cascade of memories for Harry. Hermione fixing his glasses. Hermione solving the riddle of the basilisk. Hermione saving Sirius with him. Hermione helping with the Triwizard Tournament when Ron wouldn't. Harry seemed lost in the rush as he remembered all the times Hermione was there for him. Of course he knew she would be there for him now.

* * *

The next several days flew by in a haze filled with studying, studying, and more studying for the two Potters. Hermione, eager for yet another test, threw herself at the Potter library with reckless abandon. She had even drawn up a study schedule for herself and Harry, meant to cover as much material as possible in the week they had before the test. Harry, on the other hand, was more keen on the idea that one could study too much and over think the test. As a result, he was more prone to briefly skim over the material quickly.

Finally, Tuesday arrived, and Dumbledore appeared at Potter Manor at nine in the morning to accompany Harry and Hermione to the Ministry of Magic for their test. They arrived using the visitor's entrance again, and stated their business to the operator. After descending into the atrium, the three made their way to the second floor, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. More specifically, they were headed to the Wizengamot Administration offices, where their exam would be administered.

On the way, Dumbledore explained some of the particulars of the test. "There will be two main parts of the exam. The first is a written exam, focused mainly on theoretical knowledge. You will have one hour to complete this portion. Immediately following your completion of the written section, you will be ushered into another room where you will be asked to duel a test proctor. You will be required to demonstrate at least five different spells _and_ defeat your opponent to even pass this test. You will then be evaluated on your technique, spell knowledge, and strategy. Both tests are graded on a scale of one to fifty, with your final score being out of one hundred. You must score at least a ninety in order to be certified. Ah, it appears we have arrived." Dumbledore turned to leave the Potters at the door to the office. "I cannot accompany you inside. I will return once you have finished, however. Good luck." With a smile, he departed.

Harry opened the door for Hermione, allowing her to go first. He then followed into a sparsely decorated office that appeared to be more like a muggle doctor's waiting room than anything else. The walls were white, with no decorations to speak of, other than a giant seal of the Ministry of Magic behind the reception desk. In front of the desk were six uncomfortable looking chairs. Two other doors led out of this room, one on the right and one on the left wall. Harry and Hermione approached the desk.

"Hi, we're here to take our defense mastery exam," Hermione said politely.

The bored looking receptionist looked up. "Are you now? They just let anyone try their hand at it now, don't they?" he remarked rudely, taking in their youthful appearance.

"And apparently they let _anyone_ work in the Ministry now, don't they?" Harry retorted. "Now we have an appointment, so kindly let us in before _I _prove my mastery to you personally."

The receptionist, who Harry had deduced was nothing more than an intern, eyed Harry and Hermione carefully. He then pointed to the door to their right and they left him without a word.

Through the next door, the pair found a room that was similar to the last one, only even more sparsely furnished. This one only had two desks and two chairs, and was empty otherwise. There was one other door out of the room. Standing in front of the desks was a balding, bespectacled middle-aged wizard who looked to be impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for them. He looked to be slightly shorter than Harry's five feet, ten inches, but he still cut an imposing figure. Harry glanced at his watch and found that they were perfectly on time. Apparently, the haughty attitude towards them didn't end with the intern.

"We're here for our defense mastery exam," Hermione explained patiently, intent on giving each person a chance to prove their attitudes.

"About time you got here," the wizard said, instantly falling in Harry and Hermione's esteem. "Kids these days think they own everything and will get here when they're good and ready." He motioned for the two to sit down at the desks. "My name is Xavier. My last name isn't important. What is important is that you're here for us to find out whether or not you are a master of Defense Against the Dark Arts. While I already have my opinion, we have to do this by the book. When I leave this room, each one of you will receive a copy of the test. You will have one hour to complete the written portion. When finished, sign on the last page and the test will disappear. Then go through this door," he motioned to the second door, "and we will begin the second portion of your test. Any questions?" Neither Harry nor Hermione raised their hands. "Good. There will be an impenetrable silencing charm around each of you to prevent cheating. Now begin."

Xavier walked out of the room and two stacks of parchment appeared, one on each desk, along with a quill and ink. Harry broke the seal on his and began to read his test. He smiled as he read the first questions.

_Describe the appropriate means of dispatching a boggart._

_What are the three Unforgivable Curses and what are their effects?_

_Describe the effects of Priori Incantatum. What are its advantages and weaknesses?_

_Compare and contrast invisibility cloaks and disillusionment charms._

Harry breezed through the questions, only pausing a few times to really think about the material. For the most part, the test wasn't too hard. For a regular witch or wizard, some of the questions might pose a challenge, but Harry had seen and learned things far beyond his years, and that made the test that much easier. He was sure Hermione was having just as easy of a time as he was.

After forty minutes, and a cramped hand from writing, Harry signed his name on the back page of the test. As he stood up, his test disappeared from his desk. Harry walked over to the door and exited the room into another. This one was also white.

_Don't taxes pay for better decoration than this?_ Harry thought sarcastically. The walls in this room were padded, and it was much larger than the previous rooms. In the middle, Xavier stood. Harry walked up to him.

"I see you muddled your way through the written test," he smirked.

"You know, why can't you just accept the fact that I'm here to take this test, and treat me like I actually stand a chance?" Harry asked angrily. "Just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I'm any less capable." Just as Harry finished, the door opened again and Hermione walked in. Xavier waved his wand and a wall of protective glass flew up between her and the men.

"Let's find out," Xavier said in a more serious tone. "You will be tested here on your technique, spell comprehension, and dueling strategy. You will also be required to use at least five different spells during the course of this duel, and defeat me. The duel ends when one of us is incapacitated or forfeits."

Harry pulled out his wand. "I'm ready," he said, assuming a dueling stance.

"Begin!" Xavier declared.

Harry immediately planned to get the five spell requirement out of the way. He fired the disarming, stunning, and binding spells, as well as the confundus charm and slicing charm at his opponent in quick succession. All five were dodged expertly, with a combination of shield charms and physical dodging.

Xavier responded by firing a powerful reductor curse at Harry, whose shield buckled under the force but held. Harry pulled out his second wand, and brandishing them both, began to pull out all the stops in his dueling. Every trick he had learned from Moody and Flitwick came to bear here. Harry fired a stunning spell at his opponent, who dodged, as Harry had expected, using a short jump to the side. In the jump, Harry used his second wand to fire a reducto at the floor, right under where Xavier was to land. The blast knocked the proctor onto the floor, but he quickly jumped up and returned fire with a barrage of spells.

Harry saw a disarming charm fly towards him, and he was struck with an idea. He let the spell hit him, and he was relieved of both of his wands, which flew to Xavier. The proctor placed them in his robes and approached Harry, wand at his side. "It's over, you've lost," he announced. "A valiant effort, but futile in the end."

Harry took this opportunity to silently and wandlessly summon his wands back. He had learned the wandless summoning charm just for this situation. The surprised Xavier suddenly found himself being stunned by a newly rearmed Harry.

Harry walked over to his defeated opponent, who now lay unconscious on the ground, and picked up the wand laying next to him. He then revived the Ministry employee, who sat up, rubbing his head.

"Actually, I think it is you who've lost. What is it that Moody says? 'Constant vigilance?' You let your guard down," Harry said with a smirk, handing the wand back to Xavier.

"Excellent! Very good, Mr. Potter. Couldn't have done better myself," Xavier exclaimed.

Harry looked at the man confusedly. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"You will never be faced with ideal conditions. People will not always be on your side, and you will have those who stand against you. Part of this test was meant to emulate that, and see how you do in a less than ideal situation. Adversity is an adversary we must all face, and you handled yourself quite remarkably, Mr. Potter. You will have your score from me after your wife takes her test."

Suddenly it dawned on Harry. It was an act; it was all part of the test. He walked towards the door and traded places with Hermione, who took up her spot in the dueling area. Her duel also proceeded well, but Hermione relied more on a greater breadth of spells rather than unique strategy. In the end, she triumphed after disarming Xavier and keeping him at wand point, forcing him to forfeit.

"Also well done, Mrs. Potter. Now, let's return to the testing room. The trio exited the dueling room and into the previous room. However, it did not appear to be the same room they had left before. Now there was rich wood paneling along the walls at about waist height, and the walls were painted a dark grey. The two desks were still in place, but were now resting on hardwood floor. Harry and Hermione sat down.

"Now for your test scores. As you are no doubt aware, each test has a total of fifty possible points. On the written test, one point is for each question. For the practical test, fifteen points apiece go to dueling technique and strategy, while twenty points go to spell mastery. Mrs. Potter, your written test score was a perfect fifty. Excellent job there. Your practical test scores are as follows: twenty points for spell knowledge, thirteen points for dueling technique, and eleven points for strategy. If I may offer a suggestion: it may not always be that easy to disarm your opponent. Try to find ways to outsmart them in a duel. Keep them off balance." He paused to do some quick math. "Your total score was ninety four, which means you've passed.

Now for Mr. Potter. You were not quite as perfect on the written exam, but you still scored a forty seven. On your practical exam though, you scored a nineteen for spell knowledge, fifteen for dueling technique, and fifteen for strategy. I must commend you on your ruse that allowed me to disarm you. Excellent choice. Your grand total is ninety six. Congratulations, you've also passed."

Hermione squealed and jumped into Harry's arms, hugging him tightly. Harry just smiled at her. It was obvious she was more excited about the whole situation than he was. After a moment, Hermione had settled down and returned to her seat. Xavier waved his wand and two pieces of parchment floated down onto the desks.

"These are your certificates showing that you have proven yourself to be of at least mastery level in Defense. Congratulations again, both of you." He shook both of their hands before leaving the room. Harry and Hermione followed him, and they found that the waiting room had also been transformed to look just like the test room. The intern nodded at them respectfully as they walked by. Taking Hermione's hand, the two left the office and returned to the corridor outside, where Dumbledore was waiting.

Seeing the broad smile on Hermione's face and the pieces of parchment in their hands, Dumbledore spoke. "So I see that you both passed the exam?" he asked more for their sake than his. Both nodded. "Excellent. That gets our first issue out of the way. When we return, I'll speak with the Board of Governors to announce your appointment. You see, the Headmaster has first say in teacher appointments. But the Board can appoint someone if no suitable person is found, by way of a democratic vote. That is how Mr. Lockhart got the position two years ago."

Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore returned to Potter Manor and Dumbledore used the floo there to return to Hogwarts. After he left, Harry and Hermione showed their certificates to Dan, Emma, and Draco. Dan clapped his hand on Harry's back, making the young man grimace in pain.

"Well done son. I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of you teaching _me_ this year, but I know you'll do well. Just don't screw up," he said.

"Thanks for those inspirational words of encouragement, Dad," Harry said sarcastically. But there was a smile on his face.

"This is just too weird," Draco said. "I mean, you're only fourteen, well kinda, and you're gonna be teaching us?"

"Nice to know everyone has confidence in us," Hermione added. At this, Emma threw her arms around Hermione.

"I know you'll do great sweetheart," she said sincerely.

"Thanks mum."

* * *

Three days later Dumbledore paid a visit to Potter Manor in the late afternoon. He found Harry and Hermione in the library, casually perusing defensive spell books. The Headmaster approached them from behind silently.

"Ah, nice to see you getting a head start on the new term," he said, startling the two teens. "I just finished up a meeting with the Hogwarts Board of Governors. I announced your appointments as Professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and used your mastery certification as proof of your skills. Fortunately, since the Ministry removed Lucius Malfoy from the board, there were no dissenting votes, even if there were some concerns about how this would play out in the media."

"Actually, the media shouldn't be too much of a problem, as we own the biggest paper in the wizarding world," Harry explained, dismissing that issue. "The real problem will be the students, especially the older ones."

"Right you are Harry. I plan to make the announcement at the sorting feast, and mention that you are both masters in defense. However, I advise you to use your position as professors to your advantage, and punish any students who misbehave. That leads me to one of the topics I wanted to talk to you about.

I believe that it will be extremely difficult for the two of you two balance traditional school work and teaching, along with the responsibilities that go with it. Therefore, I am using my power as Headmaster to present you with these." Dumbledore pulled out two pieces of parchment from his robes and handed them to Harry and Hermione. The two looked at the documents in their hands.

"A Hogwarts diploma?" Harry asked.

"That's right. As you have both already completed the full course load from all seven years at Hogwarts, I thought it would be horribly redundant for you to have to do it again. That, combined with the fact that you are now technically professors there, means it would be only appropriate for you to have these."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said respectfully.

"Hermione, I told you before," Dumbledore admonished, "call me Albus. It's no good if you have to call family 'sir.'"

"Yes, _Albus_," Hermione said, emphasizing his name.

"Much better. Now onto other matters. I think we should discuss the vision for this new Defense class. With the return of Voldemort, I believe we would be best served with a mainly practical class. That is the main reason I decided that the two of you would be the best choice to teach it. But at the same time, we need to work on building up our own militia."

"Well, we could do something like the DA from last time," Harry suggested. "But since we already have the class in place, we could offer it as sort of an advanced class that you can volunteer for."

"Excellent idea, Harry," Dumbledore said, praising the idea. "I think that this group should be taught combat tactics and spells, and be given the role of being the primary defenders of Hogwarts. I fear that an attack on the school at some time in the future may be unavoidable. However, this militia can also serve a purpose outside the school, should it be necessary, such as your 'DA' did in the Department of Mysteries. Now we should discuss what you plan to do in the regular class."

"We were thinking that we could start simple with the first years," Hermione began. "Start with basic spells, like the disarming charm and other low-level dueling spells. Gradually we will work our way up, but at the same time, we think we should push up the learning timetable currently in use at Hogwarts. We think that the Patronus charm should be learned by the end of third year, and silent magic in fourth year. We also want to try and dabble in a little wandless magic for the sixth or seventh years, but we're still undecided about that."

"All good ideas," Dumbledore mused. "Are you planning on choosing a textbook?"

"No," Harry answered for both him and Hermione. "If we cover any theoretical material, it will be through lecture only. As this is primarily a practical class, most of the class will be filled with demonstrations and practice. We want all students to be able to go home for the holidays and summer with some idea how to protect themselves should Death Eaters attack."

"A most noble goal, Harry. One that I think would serve us well in this time of random attacks. I daresay I agree with your choice not to have a textbook, as it would only dilute the content of the classes. Now, we only have just under two weeks until the start of term. I would like the two of you to develop your lesson plan for at least the first month for all seven years, and bring it to me before the start of term. I would appreciate the chance to look it over and offer any suggestions I might have. Other than that, I think we've covered everything I came here for. A wonder of magic it is, that we can travel so quickly. Otherwise this trip might not have been worth the time. I'm sure I'll see you again before school starts."

With that, Dumbledore left the two Potters and returned to Hogwarts, while Harry and Hermione returned to their books.

* * *

September first arrived faster than expected, but this year Harry and Hermione were much more excited about the start of term. But at the same time, they were much more nervous than usual. Harry and Hermione had decided to take the Hogwarts Express with Draco, Dan, and Emma. The latter two were fascinated by the inside of the train that they had only seen from the outside several times.

"Oh come on you two," Hermione chided. "It's just a train. You've seen dozens of them!" But her words fell on deaf ears. The Grangers had been enthralled by anything related to magic since they had been welcomed into that world. As they walked through the cars to find an empty compartment, Dan and Emma received more than their fair share of stares from the various students. Various whispers could be heard from the students.

"Are they the new professors?"

"He must be Defense, I can tell. She has to be the new Potions teacher."

"Why are they walking with Potter and Granger?"

Harry chuckled as he heard some of the rumors. The entire student body would certainly be surprised that night when they found out the truth. Finally, the group found an empty compartment near the back of the train and sat down.

"Now I think it would be more fun if you two kept quiet about why you're here," Harry explained with a grin to Dan and Emma. "Imagine the response when they find out that you're students and we're the teachers. Nothing like a good prank to start the school year. Sirius would be proud."

Hermione giggled while Dan nodded approvingly. After getting her giggle under control, Hermione began to rattle off everything she could about what would happen that night. "Now when we get to the station, we will take carriages to the school. Only the first year students get to take the boats. You will be sorted with the first years, however, so when we get in the castle, you will stay with them and Professor Dumbledore. Man this is going to get confusing with two Professor Dumbledores. You will wait with Minerva and the first years.

In the Great Hall, they will put the Sorting Hat on your head. Don't freak out when you hear it's voice in your head talking to you. It's just trying to get a feel for your personality so it knows where to put you. You will then be sorted and then you will sit down at that house's table."

"Hermione," Harry began, "why don't you take a breath, or at least pause for a moment, okay?" He smiled at the look of mock anger he had elicited from his wife.

"Hermione, honey, I'm sure we'll do just fine," her mother said, trying to placate her daughter.

The group wiled away the hours until the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Dan and Emma, even though they were dentists, allowed an exception and sampled a number of the wizarding treats from the trolley. Dan was both enamored and disgusted by Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, after he found the stinky feet flavored bean. Soon enough, the train slowed to a stop, and Draco changed into his Slytherin robes, and Harry, Hermione, Dan, and Emma changed into nondescript robes.

The five boarded one carriage, completely filling it, and rode to the school while shrouded in darkness. The bumpy ride to the school passed quickly and in silence, Dan and Emma were staring at the silhouette of Hogwarts looming on the horizon as it grew closer. When the carriage arrived, the Potters and Grangers disembarked, and parted ways just inside the main doors to the school. Minerva Dumbledore was there with the new first years, so Dan and Emma waited with her, while Draco, Harry, and Hermione entered the Great Hall.

Draco parted from the other two to sit at the unfriendly Slytherin table, while Harry and Hermione walked past the Gryffindor table to the Head Table and sat down, eliciting a round of murmurs from the students. Harry and Hermione sat on Dumbledore's left, with his wife's empty seat on his right. Harry was first, followed by Hermione, and next to her sat Sirius Black.

Suddenly the murmurs died down and the huge doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing Minerva (A/N: From now on, to prevent confusion, when I say 'Professor Dumbledore,' I mean Minerva. Otherwise I will say Dumbledore to refer to the Headmaster), followed by her band of new students. The Potters noticed Dan and Emma following close behind the professor, enthralled by the enchanted ceiling just like the small children. Professor Dumbledore led the parade down the center of the Great Hall and stopped in front of the small stool that lay in front of the Head Table.

The Sorting Hat sang its usual song about the four houses and their various traits, and afterwards, Professor Dumbledore began to call a series of names. While Harry and Hermione had heard all of them before, none of them bore any significance to either of them. However, they paid attention to the sorting, as these were now their students. They were also able to hear the thoughts of the hat as usual. After the final first year was sorted, Professor Dumbledore called another name.

"Granger, Daniel," she called. Harry snickered lightly at Dan's full name. The professor placed the Hat on Dan's head.

"_Ah, not a young mind, how unusual. Oh! A parent. I see you just recently received magic, from Mr. Potter no less. It takes a great deal of courage to step into a world you know nothing about. Yes, courage indeed. You would do well in…_GRYFFINDOR!"

Dan leapt from the stool with a wide smile on his face. He had been sorted into his daughter and son-in-law's house. He walked over and sat down at the Gryffindor table, earning some odd stares from the students at that table.

"Granger, Emma," Professor Dumbledore announced. Emma walked up to the stool and sat down. Soon Harry and Hermione could hear the Hat speaking in her head.

"_Hmmm…Another Granger? I see. That was your husband before, wasn't it? Naturally you came together. But where to put you? You have loyalty to your family, that much is certain, and a keen intellect. Not much ambition for yourself. But there is a tenacity here to do what is right, no matter what the cost. It seems that there are three possible places to put you. But where…I know. Best not to separate you two. How about…_GRYFFINDOR!"

Emma jumped down from the stool and walked over and sat down next to her husband at the Gryffindor table. The two were overjoyed to have been sorted into the same house.

Suddenly, Harry and Hermione heard the Hat's voice in their head again.

"_Mr. Potter. And it's Mrs. Potter now, isn't it? What's this I see? You have another addition to your family as well? Mr. Malfoy is now Mr. Potter, how curious."_

Harry was the first to speak telepathically. _"Yes, he's had a hard time of things lately. His father was abusive and tried to manipulate him. His house has and will abandon him and make his life a living hell."_

"_When I sorted him three years ago, I knew he had some Gryffindor in him somewhere; he was not all Slytherin. In fact, I could tell that he desperately wanted into Slytherin to please his father, and that every ounce of cunning and ambition I saw was almost programmed into him. He was not sorted correctly,"_ the Hat replied.

"_Is there anything you can do about it?"_ Hermione asked. _"There has never been a resorting at Hogwarts."_

As an answer to her question, the Hat suddenly bellowed out into the hall. "Draco Potter!" All heads in the Great Hall snapped up at this declaration, and Dumbledore rose from his seat in astonishment. Draco slowly stood and nervously looked around before walking up to the Sorting Hat. He sat down on the stool, unsure about what to do. Also unsure about the correct course of action, Professor Dumbledore placed the Hat on Draco's head.

"_Mr. Potter, I regret to inform you that you were incorrectly sorted three years ago. I placed you in Slytherin based more on your personal preferences than on your personality. You are braver than you know. Reckless at times, yes, but brave. There is only one house that could fit you, and that would be _GRYFFINDOR!"

The Hat was removed from Draco's head and he glanced around confusedly. Figuring there was only one thing to do, he walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Dan and Emma. Everyone looked to the Hat expectantly, but it remained silent.

Dumbledore, who was still standing, cleared his throat, gaining the attention of all in the Great Hall. "Well, that was most…interesting, I must say. Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. To our new students, welcome to our family. To our returning students, welcome back. Before we begin our feast, I have a few words I'd like to say. And those are: Discharge! Ear! Flummox! Faucet! Now, let's tuck in!" With that, the banquet appeared and the students and staff tore into the meal.

Dan and Emma, to Harry and Hermione, seemed to gorge themselves on the unlimited amount of food. Draco seemed more pensive, and only ate small portions. Just over a half hour after the feast had began, Dumbledore waved his wand and the food disappeared, leaving the tables empty, much to the dismay of some of the students. Harry and Hermione expected Ron Weasley to be the most vocal student when the food disappeared, however he seemed to be sitting quietly, not talking with any other students, and barely eating at all.

"Now, I have a few start of term announcements. Let's get the boring ones out of the way, shall we? As a reminder, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, especially those in seventh year and below. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you to do nothing but walk in the halls. It seems as though everything else is now forbidden. In addition, due to recent events, the main event planned for this year, the Triwizard Tournament, has been cancelled until further notice.

With those out of the way, I have a few more interesting announcements to make. First off, we have two new students. Actually, they are parents, who somehow slipped through the cracks and are now attending Hogwarts for the first time. They have taken a test and have been placed into fourth year. You all saw their sorting. They are Dan and Emma Granger.

I would also like to announce some new members of our staff. Taking the place of the late Professor Snape, we have Professor Sirius Black. You may recognize Professor Black from filling in during Defense Against the Dark Arts last year, but he will be teaching Potions now, and will be the head of Slytherin house. While Professor Black was a member of Gryffindor house during his years here, he comes from a long line of Slytherins, which affords him a great deal of experience dealing with members of Slytherin.

Also, to replace Professor Lupin, who was forced to resign due to unforeseen circumstances, we actually have a team of professors. Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, we have Professors Harry and Hermione Potter. They have both proven their mastery of their field in a Ministry test and to myself, and are among the brightest and most capable witches and wizards I have ever had the privilege of knowing. They will also be the architects of a new, more practical Defense curriculum, which will be designed to help you in this war against Voldemort." A round of gasps rose from the Great Hall.

"Yes, Voldemort is back, and he is more dangerous than ever. It is for this reason that we want each and every one of you to be able to defend yourself in times of need. Both Professors Potter are experts in this field, and are more than capable of teaching you to defend yourself admirably. They deserve your respect, just as any other teacher in this school does. Now, I believe I've kept you long enough, so off to bed! Will the Potters and Grangers please remain behind?"

The students began to file out, while Draco, Dan, and Emma made their way up to the Head Table and stood there with Harry and Hermione. After all of the students had left, Dumbledore approached them.

"There appear to be a few things we need to discuss. I believe it would be best to be away from prying ears, so let us go up to my office," he said.

The group made their way up to the gargoyle to the Headmaster's office. This year's password was Licorice Snaps, and when uttered, the gargoyle opened to reveal the staircase. When they were settled in the office, Dumbledore finally spoke.

"First, we have the matter of young Mr. Potter's sorting. I have never heard of a situation where the Sorting Hat has resorted a student. It's unheard of. Now we have the delicate matter of what to do about it."

"What do you mean, what to do about it? You can't seriously be considering sending him back to Slytherin!" Harry protested. "They'll skin him alive. Twice over in fact. Once for being disowned, and once for being sorted into Gryffindor."

"I'm afraid, Harry my boy, that you are more right than you know. However, I am also afraid that Gryffindor will not be the safest place for Mr. Potter either. The rivalry between the two houses is legendary. How well do you think they will take it if a Slytherin is suddenly sorted into their house? I do not believe that Gryffindor is the best option," Dumbledore replied.

"Then what are you proposing?" Draco asked timidly. He had been unnaturally quiet since the resorting, probably as he was trying to figure out where he truly belonged.

"Mr. Potter, I believe it would be best if you were made a member of Gryffindor house, but only for organizational purposes. You would earn and lose points for that house, and belong to their Quidditch team, among other things. However, you will not be rooming with them. That, I believe, would put you in undue jeopardy. The best solution in my mind would be to place you with your fellow Potters."

"Huh?" Harry questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Honestly, Harry. Why haven't you ever read Hogwarts: A History?" Hermione scolded. "Teachers get their own quarters. Draco can just room with us."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Hermione? I mean, what about…" Quickly, Harry's gaze turned to Dan, who was eyeing him expectantly. Harry didn't finish his line of thought. "Good idea," he added.

"Albus," Hermione began, "what about my parents? From what I've read, married couples also get their own quarters. Wouldn't it be awkward having them housed in Gryffindor tower?"

"An excellent point, Mrs. Potter, one that I nearly overlooked. I don't think it would be too difficult to add extra quarters onto your staff rooms. I believe that we have a smaller tower that is currently empty. I can see to it that rooms enough for all five of you are placed there. I daresay we could name it Potter Tower. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, you will have the same arrangements that Mr. Potter will. You will be a member of Gryffindor house in all things other than housing."

Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, unsaid words passing between their connected eyes. They both liked that arrangement greatly.

"I can sense the approval in the air," Dumbledore joked. The joke fell flat however. "Wait, I think that was the completely wrong time for that joke. I'll never understand muggle humor. Anyway, I was very happy at the reception you two received this evening. I was half expecting a series of students to decry your appointment, especially Slytherins. However, even they know of your exploits against Voldemort, and I believe they hold at least some respect for you. Tomorrow will reveal the extent of that respect. Perhaps it was only because I was there this evening. Now, I believe that covers everything I wished to speak to you about."

"Wait, Grandpa," Harry said. "Do you have a schedule for Hermione and I for our classes?"

Dumbledore nodded. He pulled out a sheet of parchment from his desk. "Thank you for reminding me, Harry. I usually hand these out to the professors about a week in advance, but I completely forgot to deliver yours to you. My apologies."

Harry and Hermione looked it over. Tomorrow was the first day of classes, and they would be starting easy, with first year students from nine to ten thirty. After that they would have fourth year from eleven to twelve thirty, followed by an hour lunch period. Finally, they would have several hours of free time before their final class with seventh years from four to five thirty. The other years would follow on the other days. From the looks of it, they would have each year twice a week, with doubles periods for each year on alternating Fridays. Weekends were completely open.

"Looks good," Harry commented.

"Now, I believe we had better depart for your tower, as the hour grows late, and you will all need to be rested for the first day of classes. This way, please," Dumbledore said firmly. He led the way out of his office and down several corridors, ending up in a corridor that neither Harry nor Hermione had ever been down. It appeared to be marginally near Gryffindor tower, but as for how close, they could not be sure. At the end of the hall, there was a portrait of a witch and a wizard, and Hermione excitedly identified them as Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw. The irony was not lost on Harry and Hermione.

Hermione asked Harry to set the password for the portrait. He thought for a moment before speaking. "The love of a family," he said simply, and the frame of the portrait flashed green for a moment before returning to its natural black. The portrait then swung open to reveal a large sitting room.

"I took the liberty of having your rooms expanded from their original plans prior to your arrival, anticipating that all five of you would be living in here," Dumbledore explained.

The sitting room was approximately thirty feet square, with a large fireplace and a pair of wing-backed leather chairs in front of it. Along one wall, there was also a couch, with another opposite it. The walls were a deep red, which was accented with a gold trim, proving that all members of this tower were indeed Gryffindors at heart. Firelight danced off of the walls, reflecting off of the gold trim, adding to the warmth of the room. A hall branched off of one side of the room, presumably going to other portions of the quarters.

"Does it meet your expectations?" Dumbledore asked playfully. He knew full well that it did. Hermione and Emma's mouths were still agape, but Harry nodded and thanked the Headmaster.

"It's perfect, thank you Grandpa," Harry said sincerely. The Headmaster bowed slightly and took his leave, leaving the three Potters and two Grangers alone in their new abode. The group walked down the hall to find five doors. Harry opened the first to find a spacious study, with two desks, apparently one for him and one for Hermione. There were also bookshelves lining two of the walls. The third had a window out of the tower, with a view of the Quidditch pitch.

They left the study to find that the next door was the bathroom, with a large shower and separate tub. The final three doors were labeled. The first had a large 'G' on it, meaning it was for the Grangers. The next had a large 'D' on it, indicating it was Draco's room. Finally, at the end of the hall, was a door with an 'H' on it, for Harry and Hermione. This is where the group broke up, with each going to their own respective rooms. When they were left alone, Harry opened the door to their room and let Hermione walk in first. He closed the door behind them.

The sight before them made them forget any lingering doubts they had about becoming professors (if they had any left to begin with). The room was painted similarly to the other rooms, in a deep red and gold, but was carpeted, as opposed to having a wood floor, and was about as large as the sitting room. From the glimpse they had both gotten of the other two bedrooms, this one was twice as large as the others. But they could also see a door going to their own private bathroom, along with another going to a large closet. Harry was more interested in the bathroom.

"Looks like that shower is big enough to fit two," he said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows at his wife. She slapped him playfully.

"Harry, keep it clean, my parents are here too," she admonished lightly. Harry gave her an unhappy face, but turned to take in the rest of the room. It looked as though the house elves had brought their trunks in, and had unpacked them already, as the closet was full of their clothes, and their other belongings were scattered about the room. Harry and Hermione changed into their bedclothes and pulled back the covers on the large bed.

"Goodnight, Professor Potter," Hermione said, kissing her husband good night.

"Goodnight to you too, Professor Potter," Harry said, mimicking his wife. The two got into bed together and cuddled up close. Within minutes they were both fast asleep, excited to start the next day.

A/N: Yes, this chapter is much shorter than the last one, but then again, the last chapter was much longer than any previous ones. I find that chapter length is best served around this length, maybe a bit longer. But I can update much easier and more often at this length. Anyway, one of the things on my list to have happen over the course of this story is for Harry to teach DADA while still a student. That idea evolved a little bit as I wrote this chapter. The next chapter may be a short one (I haven't really wrote it, only outlined it), and it will deal with the first day of classes for the new professors. Please review!


	18. The Shepherds and Their Flock

Author's Note: Thank you for all of the positive reviews for the last chapter! They really gave me the incentive to write this one a little faster than I had planned. Originally, I had planned to split this chapter into two, with the first ending at the end of the first day of classes. But as I thought about it, I couldn't really justify the split, as it would end up with two chapters that were too similar in content and concept. So I just combined them, and shortened the DA portion a little bit.

In response to the review by FictionA: Yes, this is my Voldemort. By that I mean, I am writing him differently than in canon. And yes, I do use _some_ of canon as a backdrop. However, this story is AU after OotP, so I don't use all of canon. I've actually considered writing a prequel to this story after I'm done with it, explaining my version of canon, but I don't know if I'll actually do it. Suffice it to say that the changes that have been made have changed Voldemort, and will continue to change his plans even more in the future.

Anyway, please read and review chapter 18. It actually ended up being a bit longer than the last chapter, contrary to my original thinking, but that could be because I combined two planned chapters into one. Again, please review, and if you're interested in being my beta, please let me know.

I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 18

**The Shepherds and Their Flock**

Harry was having a wonderful dream. It involved Hermione, chocolate, and some other activities that Harry found highly enjoyable. Suddenly, his vision turned red and began to flash, and he began to hear a nasty screeching. Harry opened his eyes, still seeing the red flashing. _Damned magical alarms,_ he thought. He grabbed his wand and muttered, "Finite." His vision cleared, but unfortunately, he thought, he was awake. It was such a pleasant dream too.

Hermione awoke not long after Harry, and the two took turns in the shower. They had made sure to wake up extra early, at seven, in order to make breakfast and their nine o'clock class. By seven thirty, both were ready. Hermione, ever the thoughtful one, grabbed the thick stack of parchment that served as their notes for class, and both headed out the portrait hole of Potter Tower, accompanied by the Grangers and Draco, who had also awoken early. All were eagerly anticipating the first day of class.

The Great Hall was sparsely populated, a fact that was directly attributable to the early hour. Most of the student body, with the exception of the new first years, wouldn't arrive until just before class was to start, as they were used to the schedule at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione sat at the Head Table, next to Dumbledore, who always seemed to be in the Great Hall for meals, even before any students arrived, and he always seemed to be there after they all left.

Between bites of egg, Dumbledore offered some advice to his newest professors. "Relax, you two," he said, seeing that Harry and Hermione were a bit tense. "There is nothing to be afraid of. Just remember that you are the professors, and you have the real power over the class. The point system has been modified so that any points you take or give will be immediately registered. You also have full power to issue detentions. I trust you two to use the power wisely, but use it if necessary."

"It's the older students we're most worried about, Grandpa," Harry said.

"I think, Harry, that you should, what was the phrase? Nip it in the bud? Kill the cancer before it can spread. I'll be frank with you two: you may not have the respect of the older students. You must first earn it. It would be wise for you to bear that in mind. Ah! Waffles! The house-elves must really like me this morning." The Headmaster directed his full attention at the steaming pile of waffles on the table in front of him. He didn't say another word.

The rest of the meal passed smoothly, but Harry and Hermione couldn't help but notice that Ron Weasley was more sullen than usual. Harry marked it down in his mind as something to check up on later. But glancing at the time, he noticed that it was a quarter past eight. He and Hermione excused themselves from the table and made the ten minute journey to the DADA classroom. They wanted to make sure everything was perfect for their first class.

The classroom was longer than it was wide, with a rounded staircase leading to a balcony, behind which rested the professor's office. (A/N: I liked the design of the DADA classroom from the movies, so imagine that.) In front of the balcony, rested several rows of desks, and before them was about twenty feet of open space that could be used for lecturing or demonstrations. Harry and Hermione found everything in the room to be satisfactory, however it was no different from any other time they had been in the room.

At nine, the giant clock at Hogwarts chimed the time, and the doors to the classroom opened, allowing a flood of tiny eleven year old Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws into the room. They nervously took whatever seat they could find, anticipating their first ever Hogwarts class. As the noise died down, Harry took center stage, with Hermione several steps to his right. The two had agreed that he would do the introduction for the class.

"Good morning," he began, "and welcome to your first class at Hogwarts. Please forgive me, I'm terrible at public speaking. But what I am good at, is defending myself. You are here for one purpose, and one purpose only: to learn to do the same. Now that we have those formalities out of the way, let me introduce myself. I'm Harry Potter, and this is my wife Hermione. We will be your professors this year. Now I know that calling us both Professor Potter will be very confusing to you. But it will be even more confusing for us, so please call me Professor Harry, and Hermione Professor Hermione."

Hermione nodded in approval, smiling at the students to try to quell their nerves. "This class," Harry continued, "is about keeping you alive. You've all heard about the return of Voldemort-" Gasps rang out in the classroom. "Alright, first things first. Don't be afraid of a name. What can a name do to you, hm? Nothing. As a wise man once told me, 'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.' I've faced Voldemort several times and lived to tell the tale. Trust me, saying his name is the least of your problems. You may be asking yourself what you can do to defeat him at such a young age. The answer is simple. Say his name. Voldemort wants people to be afraid of him. Show him that you aren't. Show him that it is just a name, no better, no worse than any other." Harry paused for effect.

"As Harry was saying," Hermione cut in, walking to the center of the lecture space and standing right next to Harry, "Voldemort has returned, and you need to be able to defend yourself. There will be no book work in this class, and there will be no graded homework." Hermione grimaced as she said that last part. "Instead, you will be expected to take notes on new material, and practice it on your own time. There will be no excuse for poor performance in this class. Every opportunity will be afforded to you to succeed. Now, quills and parchment out, please."

Harry chuckled lightly at Hermione's business-like tone. "What we're going to be covering today is the most crucial defensive spell you'll ever learn," Harry explained. "Normally it is taught in fifth year, but we think that's too late. So we bumped it up. The name and incantation of this spell is 'protego.'" As Harry said this, the word appeared in the air behind him. Hermione was magically writing notes in the air about his lecture.

"Now, the basic wand motion is quite simple. I know you haven't paid a visit to Professor Flitwick yet, so you don't know all that much about wand movements. Every spell has a specific movement of the wand that goes along with it. You have to do the movement and say the incantation correctly for the spell to work. This one is quite easy. Just imagine that your wand is a tennis racket." Half of the class understood his meaning, the other half looked at him quizzically. Harry could instantly tell the muggle-borns and the purebloods. "Or a beater's bat. Just pretend you are swatting your enemy's spell back at them. Professor Hermione and I will demonstrate with a light stinging hex."

Harry pulled out his wand. While he could perform the shield wandlessly, that would not help the young students learn. He was forced to handicap himself for this demonstration. Hermione also pulled out her wand. She was not as adept at wandless magic as Harry. She silently sent the light yellow beam at Harry, who batted it away with his wand. As he made the motion, a light blue barrier appeared in front of him for a split second, before reflecting the spell back towards Hermione. The latter simply stepped out of the way as the spell raced towards her.

Harry turned back to the class. "As you can see, if performed correctly, the protego shield is capable of reflecting your opponent's spell back at them. Now, there are a few limitations to this spell. The first is that it will not protect you against the Unforgivable Curses. We'll discuss those in more detail down the road. Also, it's power and effectiveness is dependant on the power of the caster and the power of the spell used against it. I hate to break it to you, but you could not repel an attack by Headmaster Dumbledore even if you wanted to. He is too powerful."

A hand shot up. "Yes, Mr…" Harry began.

"Jameson, Professor, Micah Jameson. I'm in Hufflepuff. Anyway, Professor Harry, sir, could you do it?" the student asked.

"Well, Mr. Jameson, I've never had need to try. The Headmaster and I are on good terms, and I'm not about to go challenge him to a duel just to find out if I can defend myself against him. But on a purely theoretical level, I believe I can," Harry responded, not wanting to reveal too much about his power relative to Dumbledore's. "Now that you've seen the spell in action, how many of you think you can do it yourself?" Most of the hands in the class shot up. "Good, now stand up."

The students all stood, and with a wave of Harry's wand, the desks disappeared, leaving the classroom completely empty. "Now we're going to practice. This is where the meat of the class will come in. During your final period of this class each week, each of you will be tested on the week's material. Most of the time, for this class at least, that will consist of demonstrating your mastery of the week's spell. You have time between classes to practice, but it will be your responsibility. We are not here to shove repetitive homework down your throats. That won't do you much good in the real world, where danger abounds. So, wands out please."

Wands were hastily drawn from dozens of robes. Hermione began to give instructions. "Please pair up with another student. However, you must pair up with someone from the other house. There will be no house rivalry in this classroom. We are at war with an enemy greater than any we have faced in a long while. We can't afford to be fighting amongst ourselves." The students followed the instructions. The Potters then had them take turns firing mild stinging hexes at each other, while one attempted to shield themselves from the attack. None of the students managed to get it for several minutes. Finally, one did.

"Excellent!" Harry exclaimed. "And what's your name and house, young lady?" he asked.

"Helen Boot. I'm in Ravenclaw," she said. Harry instantly thought that Terry Boot must be her older brother. "Well done, Miss Boot. Ten points to Ravenclaw. The next person to do the spell correctly will win five points for their house," Harry announced.

Harry and Hermione walked around the room, offering tips and suggestions for improvement to all of the students. They would observe each pair for a few moments before doing so, but they made sure to do it in a tone that was not condescending or in the least bit patronizing. Before class ended, several more students had managed to cast the shield well enough to protect themselves from the attack. However, none of them had managed to reflect the spell back at the caster. But Harry and Hermione took it in stride, as the students were already performing far beyond the usual level for their year, especially considering the fact that they were learning the shield charm much earlier than normal.

All too soon, ten thirty arrived, signaling the end of class. "Remember, practice your shields for next class," Harry said as the students began to file out of the room excitedly. Their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class had taught them more than they had expected, and they could easily see the practical applications of what they had learned. Harry and Hermione found themselves alone in the classroom after a few moments.

"You did great, Harry," Hermione praised, giving Harry a light kiss.

"But I wouldn't have done half as well if it weren't for you and your lesson plans," he admitted.

"Well, you're right about that," Hermione said jokingly. "But on a more serious note, I think the class was a huge hit with the students. Did you see the look of accomplishment on their faces when they got the shield right? It almost makes the whole war worth it to see that," she said, starting to get sentimental.

"Well, don't get your hopes up, because we have some of the older students coming up next. Actually, your parents and Draco are in this next class. That one, I'm not too afraid of, but later we have the seventh years coming in."

"Oh, Harry, when are you going to stop being such a pessimist? I know you're used to the worst happening, but sometimes you just have to hope for the best, even when you're preparing for the worst."

"I am hoping for the best. They just aren't very high hopes."

"Have you ever stopped to realize that we may be here for a purpose, Harry?" Hermione asked pointedly. "What if this is part of some larger plan that we can't yet comprehend?"

"Actually, you may be more right than you know. There is a plan made out for everyone's life before they are born, and it is kept in one large tome in Heaven. I found that out after I died when I met God."

"Then we may be in this position of having to face the concept of teaching above our age for a reason. But compared to some other fates we could have, this is nothing. Remember that Harry. We don't have it nearly as bad as we could."

Soon enough, eleven o'clock arrived, and once again, the doors to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom opened, and the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins walked in and took their seats. It was obvious from the seating arrangement who was in what house. The Gryffindors were on the right side of the room, while all of the Slytherins were on the left. Harry and Hermione received several nasty glares from the Slytherins, but that was to be expected. They were no longer facing students that were younger than they were.

"Good morning," Harry began. "It is still morning, right? Anyway, this is the fourth year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Now I know you all know the two of us, but just for kicks and giggles, let me make the introductions. I'm _Professor_ Harry Potter, and this is my wife _Professor_ Hermione Potter. I'm well aware that by using our titles you will confuse us, so for the sake of class, please call me Professor Harry, and my wife Professor Hermione. Now, let me turn it over to Professor Hermione who will give you a brief overview of this class. Hermione?"

Hermione stepped forward, and gave a similar speech to the one she gave the first years. "This class will be mainly practical. As such, we have decided not to have a textbook. Instead, if there is any new material covered in class, you will be expected to take any notes you deem appropriate. Also, there will be no assigned or graded homework. You will instead be expected to practice what was covered in class for the next class period. We will not be responsible for your lack of preparation for the class. Finally, there will be a cumulative exam on the last class of each week, covering the material for the week. The exams will be mainly practical, and will count for the largest percentage of your grade. The rest of your grade will be comprised of a score given based on your level of participation in the class. Any questions?"

A Slytherin who neither Harry nor Hermione recognized raised his hand. Hermione called on him. "Yeah, how can we honestly expect you to not play favorites when your parents and adoptive brother are in the class?"

Harry stepped forward and motioned to Hermione that he would handle the question. "There will be no favoritism in this class. Likewise, petty house rivalries will not be tolerated within this room either. There are more important things at stake right now than who will win the Quidditch cup this season, or who has the most house points. Also, disrespect towards students or professors will not be tolerated, and will be punished by a weeks worth of detention." Harry paused dramatically. "Any other questions? Good."

"Now, let's just jump right in, shall we? Who can tell me: when an enemy fires a spell at you, what is the first thing you are supposed to do? Anyone?" Harry asked when nobody raised their hand.

Slowly, Neville Longbottom raised his hand. Harry called on him. "Ummm…shield yourself?" he answered, unsure of himself.

"Excellent job, Mr. Longbottom. Five points to Gryffindor for a textbook answer. Now who can come up and demonstrate this for us? Nobody? Okay, that means I have to choose someone at random. Let's see…"

Harry's eyes searched the room before he stopped on the silent form of Ron Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, please come up here and help me in a short demonstration," Harry commanded gently. Ron looked around nervously before slowly standing and stalking to the front of the room. He looked at Harry with apprehension in his eyes.

Harry approached Ron and whispered to him. "Don't worry, Ron. This isn't to ridicule you or get back at you for anything you've done. Trust me to be perfectly fair, alright?" Ron nodded slowly. Harry then stepped back and raised his voice again. "Now, Mr. Weasley, I want you to defend yourself using the exact method Mr. Longbottom explained to us. I am only going to use a light stinging hex, which is the only spell we will use for our mock dueling for now."

Harry aimed his wand at Ron and fired the spell. As soon as the spell left Harry's wand, he fired again, sending two beams at Ron. Ron was able to raise a shield in time and deflect the first, but the second came too quickly and he wasn't able to defend against it. He was hit.

"That's not fair!" Ron exclaimed. "You were only supposed to fire once!"

"Now what have we learned here?" Hermione asked, taking center stage. "You can't count on your opponent to fight fair. Don't expect dark wizards and witches to give you a warning before they do anything. In this situation, Mr. Weasley did not have time to raise another shield before the second spell hit him. In the future, Mr. Weasley, I would suggest that you try to dodge one spell and shield against the other. Dodging one of the spells, especially the second, could give you the extra time needed to conjure another shield, in case the volley continues. Now you will switch places and you will fire the hex."

Harry assumed a defensive stance while Ron aimed his wand at him. Ron fired the stinging hex at Harry, which was quickly followed by another. Harry reflected the first one back with a shield, then jumped a foot to the side to dodge the second. The reflected spell then shot back towards Ron and hit him again.

"The lesson here is pretty much exactly the same as the last time," Hermione explained. "It is a good general rule of thumb to never stand still in a duel. You never know when your opponent will reflect a spell back at you. If Mr. Weasley here had moved after firing, he could have avoided being hit by the reflected spell. Thank you Mr. Weasley for your help, and ten points to Gryffindor for being our guinea pig."

Ron returned to his seat and sat back down. Harry put his wand away and began to speak. "So you see, standing still in a duel makes you a sitting duck. You have to keep moving and fighting in order to stand a chance. In these times we can't afford to sit back and follow the textbook version of dueling. Dark witches and wizards threw out the textbook years ago and are making their own rules. Thinking they'll play by the same rules as you is tantamount to signing your own death certificate. So now that you've got the basic idea, let's practice. Everybody stand up, wands out please."

The entire class stood, and as they had done with the first years, Harry and Hermione had the class pair up with one member of each house in each pair. Draco was paired up with Vincent Crabbe, which both Potters found humorous, while Dan was partnered with Pansy Parkinson, and Emma with Gregory Goyle.

A larger area of space was afforded for this practice session, as there was a greater degree of movement required. Dan, Emma, and Draco all seemed to do quite well in this exercise, but that could be mainly attributable to the fact that they had trained with Moody and on their own as well, practicing agility whenever they could. Ron also seemed to do quite well, at least after he was told what he was doing wrong. He now was only rarely getting hit by the spells shot at him by Blaise Zabini.

Harry and Hermione walked around the class, giving pointers to the various students. They wanted to reinforce that the class was meant for learning at all times, and that they, as the instructors, were there for help, not just to give instructions and leave the students to flounder on their own. In this vein, they talked with all and observed all of the students personally, wanting to get a feel for what they needed to learn.

Finally, the end of the class arrived. Before allowing the students to pack up, Harry gave one final announcement. "There will be an advanced dueling class held each Friday night at seven in this room, starting this Friday. Participation is completely voluntary, but it will help you become more prepared and adept at protecting yourself. Professor Hermione and I will be teaching the group, so if you are interested, please show up this Friday. That's all, but remember to practice dodging spells for next class. Mr. Weasley, would you please stay after class?" Harry asked. The class filed out of the room, leaving Ron alone with Harry and Hermione. The two led Ron up the staircase and into the Defense professor's office.

Harry allowed Hermione to sit behind the desk, as there was only one chair for now. "Ron," Harry began, wanting to adopt a more informal tone for this conversation, "I've noticed that you've been behaving a little…differently than usual. For lack of a better term, you've been acting less like a git than usual. I was just curious as to why."

Ron looked at his shoes for a moment before answering. "I've had to do some growing up this summer. My brother Percy was one of the ones killed in the Ministry attack this summer. I realize that there are more dangerous things out there than school rivalries."

Harry and Hermione sat in silence. They had fully been expecting Ron to come out and say that it was just an act to brown-nose the new professors, or something to that effect. They had not been expecting something so personal as this.

"Ron, I'm so sorry," Hermione offered.

"You don't need to be sorry," he replied. "I've just come to understand what a jerk I've been. Life is too short to act like I have been for the last few years. I apologize for the way I've treated you."

"You know, Ron, we haven't been shining examples of fairness and friendship either," Harry admitted. "There is enough blame to go around. But right now, you're right. There are more important things out there."

"I've decided to take school more seriously. Fifteen people, including my brother, were killed because they were too paralyzed with fear to do anything. They were, in the end, weak. I don't want to be that way. If push comes to shove, I want to be able to defend myself and my family."

"Ron, it takes a real adult to admit when they're wrong," Hermione began. "It's admirable that you want to protect your family and those you care about. That's the whole reason behind this class. We fear that Voldemort is simply making random attacks, and we want our students to be able to go home and defend themselves if need be."

"I think you should come to our advanced class this Friday," Harry suggested. "We're going to be working on much more difficult spells and tactics than we can in class. It isn't for the faint of heart. But in the end, the members of that class will be the most well-trained students in the school, and will be part of the defense of Hogwarts should the need arise. I think with your newfound drive to succeed, you would be perfect for that group."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ron mumbled. "I'll think about it for a few days, but for now I think it's a good idea for me to go. It's just that…Anyway, I'm sorry again for how I've treated you. I've been nothing but a git since we met, and for that reason we started out on the wrong foot."

"Ron, please forgive us if we don't jump at the chance to trust you right away. We have a number of reasons to not trust you right now. But at the same time, we'll give you a chance. After all, everyone deserves a second chance to do things over again. Isn't that right, Hermione?" Harry asked, shooting a knowing smile at his wife. Hermione nodded in response.

With the conversation ended, Ron excused himself from the office. Looking at her watch, Hermione realized that it was past twelve thirty, and time for lunch. Hand in hand, Harry and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, and took their customary seats at the Head Table. After a moment, Sirius entered the Hall and joined them at the table.

"So how goes the battle against the bloodthirsty masses?" he asked in a mock-serious tone.

Harry smiled. "Actually, really well. I thought it would be worse than it has been. The first years were great, and we only had one questioning of our authority from the fourth years. The only question that remains is how the seventh years will behave."

"Don't worry about that, Harry," Sirius said. "You just have to prove to them that you're qualified to teach the class. But judging from what I've seen and heard from some of my students who have already been in your class, that shouldn't be too hard. The first years loved you two," he said, evoking a feeling of pride from both Harry and Hermione.

"You know, it was a hard act to follow, your class," Sirius continued. "The first years were telling me they felt so powerful, for first years at least, since they learned the shield charm. I'm not usually one to get sentimental or anything, but that is where the true reward in teaching comes from. Giving students that sense of empowerment is why we are here. Oh, and defeating a Dark Lord of course. But that's just secondary," Sirius grinned.

The rest of the meal period passed in mindless conversation before Sirius excused himself to prepare for his next class. Unlike Harry and Hermione, he did not have an extended period of free time after the second class for the day.

Due to the fact that they did not have another class until four in the afternoon, Harry and Hermione took their time eating, before returning to Potter Tower to relax. But they didn't get much relaxing done before Harry broached the subject of Ron.

"So what do you think about Ron?" he asked.

"Well, I still don't trust him. After all, we don't know _when_ he turned dark before. But there was a sadness in his voice that made it seem as though he was telling the truth. At least for now, it would seem, we've neutralized one of our enemies at Hogwarts, and that alone is worth a hefty price."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't trust him either, but I also have high hopes that someday I will again trust him. He was a good friend when we were blind to his deceit, and should he prove himself loyal and trustworthy this time, I think he could come in handy before the end," Harry said. "For now let's just let him join the DA and go from there. Remember, we've already found one new friend that we didn't have before in Draco, so there is a chance that other people are different now."

Harry and Hermione passed the rest of their break with pointless pursuits, ranging from reading, in Hermione's case, to sleeping, in Harry's. Hermione woke Harry with just fifteen minutes before their next class, and the two rushed out of the Tower to their classroom.

They arrived five minutes before the start of class, and used that time to catch their breath. It wouldn't do to have two professors appear rushed on their first day. That would not make a good impression on students who were likely already wary of their qualifications.

At four o'clock, the doors once again opened and students began to file in, many with a smug look on their face. Once or twice Harry and Hermione saw a student look at them and give a chortle. Nonetheless, the seventh years took their seats, once again separated by house; this time between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Unlike the previous classes, this one didn't seem to quiet down in anticipation of the beginning of class. The students just seemed to keep talking, not giving a moment's pause for the professors.

After several minutes of this, Harry had had enough. He put his wand to his throat and used the sonorous charm. "Quiet!" he bellowed, his amplified voice filling every corner of the room. Slowly the talking quieted down and silence was all that remained.

"Thank you," Harry said, his voice back at its normal volume. "This is your seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. As you all heard last night at the feast, I'm one of your two professors, Harry Potter, and this is my wife Hermione," he said, motioning at her. "Now, before we begin going over the basics of the class, are there any questions?" Harry wanted to get this part out of the way as soon as possible.

A Slytherin raised his hand. "Yes?" Harry called on him.

"Tell me, exactly, why _you_ are the ones who are supposed to teach _us_," he asked with a sneer.

Harry gave a small smile. "So you're saying that, because you're older than we are, that we aren't qualified to teach you? Is that right?"

The student nodded, his glaring eyes never leaving Harry's.

"Alright," Harry began, "by seventh year, Defense class is all about dueling, right? So who here thinks they can defeat Professor Hermione or I in a duel?" Over a dozen hands shot up. Harry counted them. "Fourteen. Good, an even number. Okay, so how about seven of you duel Professor Hermione, and seven of you will duel me? One at a time, of course. Now all of you who raised your hands, please stand up."

Ten Slytherins and four Ravenclaws stood. It was obvious which house had greater contempt for the Potters. The student who had questioned Harry stood at the front of the Slytherin contingent.

"What's your name?" Harry asked him.

"Augustus Avery," he replied proudly.

_Avery. Avery. Oh yeah, Avery was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Must be his father,_ Harry thought. "Alright, Mr. Avery, since you were the one to be so bold as to question us, you get to go first. Take your pick. Would you like to duel me, or would you like to duel Professor Hermione?"

Avery looked between the two a few times then smiled. "I'll take you," he answered, nodding at Harry. Harry nodded in acceptance.

"Everyone else besides Mr. Avery, please step back to the back of the room," Harry ordered. The class followed the order, leaving Harry and Avery standing in the open area at the front of the classroom. Hermione had climbed the stairs and stood on the small balcony overlooking the class.

"Now, the only rule in this duel is no Unforgivable curses, alright?" Harry asked. Avery nodded his head, drawing his wand. Harry did the same. "And just to make things interesting, I'll let you have the first go," Harry allowed. He then looked up to Hermione and nodded.

"On the count of three," she announced. "One…two…three!"

"Confringo!" Avery roared, sending the blasting curse directly at Harry. Harry conjured a shield and quickly dodged to the side, as the curse rebounded and flew towards the opposite wall, blasting a hole in the stone. Harry then sent two stunners at Avery, with only a split second between the two. He was using the same trick as he had used against the fourth years earlier in the day.

Avery successfully shielded himself against the first stunner, but was struck by the second. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Harry walked over to him and plucked his wand out from between his fingers before uttering "enervate." Slowly, Avery regained consciousness and sat up on the ground.

"Now what have we learned here?" Harry asked in an amused tone. Avery didn't grace him with an answer, and instead simply glared at him. "You can't just stand there, hoping that a simple shield charm will protect you. The fourth years learned that earlier today. First rule of dueling: keep moving. Now, who wants to try next?" Harry asked.

A Ravenclaw nervously raised her hand. She ended up choosing to duel against Hermione, so Harry and his wife traded places, with Hermione on the ground and Harry on the balcony. "The rules are the same for this duel as the last," Harry said from his perch. "No Unforgivables, and the student gets the first shot." Hermione and her opponent nodded in acceptance of the terms.

"One…two…three!" Harry said, announcing the beginning of the duel.

"Expelliarmus!" the Ravenclaw shouted, and the beam raced towards Hermione. Hermione didn't even bother to shield herself. She simple sidestepped the spell and returned fire with the same disarming charm. The student followed Hermione's lead and dodged the spell, but didn't have time to regain her footing and fire back. Hermione had pulled out her second wand and fired two stunners at the student, one from each wand. Unable to counter two spells from two different directions, the student was hit and fell to the ground, unconscious.

After reviving her and sending her back to the group, Harry took center stage. "What can we learn from this duel?" he asked.

"That's cheating!" someone in the back of the crowed yelled. "She had two wands!"

"That's exactly right, whoever you are," Harry responded. "But dueling in the real world isn't fair. That was another lesson the fourth years learned today. You can't expect everybody to abide by the rules in war. In the real world, there are no rules, only those who live, and those who died. If this were a real duel, both of you would be dead by now. We only used simple spells to prove a point. Expect the unexpected. As a great, but very eccentric teacher of mine always says, 'Constant vigilance!'"

The students sat back down before Harry continued. "You've had sub-par teachers in Defense for the majority of your years here. You haven't been taught how to duel properly, how to defend yourself and live to tell the tale. Instead, you've simply read textbook cases of magical combat, and learned the theoretical side of it. Well, we're here to tell you there is no theoretical side of fighting. Yes, there are spells to learn, but all theory is thrown out the window as soon as the duel begins. You've learned that today. But actually, we've also learned something today as well. We need to start from the beginning with teaching you how to defend yourself.

You can no longer hide behind a textbook in this class. Open war is upon us, and we cannot sit back idly and let the world fall into darkness. That is why this class exists: to give you a fighting chance against Voldemort. When you go home for the holidays, it is our goal to have you able to defend yourself and your family, and survive. My wife and I were chosen for this position because we've faced Voldemort more than once. I've even dueled him personally on more than one occasion. And yet we are both here today, because we _knew_ how to handle ourselves. Age has nothing to do with ability. Training, and a well-organized mind can allow a person to achieve anything. Hermione."

Hermione stepped forward. "We're going to go back to basics in this class, beginning with elementary dueling techniques. From what we saw today, you could all use with some agility training. That will be the first thing we cover. This class will be completely practical. There may be situations where we lecture to you, but that will be mainly an explanation of what practical material we will be covering for the day. Your homework each day will be to practice the material from the class, and be prepared to demonstrate your progress for the next period. You grade will be based on weekly tests, and participation. The goal here is not to get you to pass the class, even though that's what we want out of all of you, but to glean something from it." Hermione stole a peek at her watch.

"Well, it's about time for class to be over. I want you to practice dodging spells, rather than shielding yourself against them. In a duel, the only way you'll survive is to use both as a means of defense. And from what we saw today, the majority of you could use some work in the area of agility. Alright, have a good night," she said, dismissing the class.

"Oh, wait, before you go," Harry interrupted their packing. "I just wanted to announce that there will be an advanced dueling club held in this room every Friday evening starting this Friday. We will go beyond what we cover in this class, and as such, the group is completely voluntary. However, we encourage all of you to join us this Friday at seven. Now you may go."

When they were alone again, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "That went better than I expected," he said.

"I must commend you on your conduct this evening, Harry," a familiar voice said from the corner of the room. Harry spun around to see…nothing. But slowly, Albus Dumbledore shimmered into view, apparently dispelling a disillusionment charm from himself.

"You handled the situation with the older students quite well. If I do say so myself, you've begun to gain their respect. Although it will take time, you have taken the first steps towards that goal."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Harry said, rubbing the back of his head.

"I was also most impressed by your explanation to the students. I agree with your approach of tying everything in with the overall war against Voldemort. It adds an air of importance, and makes it more relatable to current events."

"Yeah, we thought that the best way to get their attention would be to add in the gravity of the situation with Voldemort."

"However, I would recommend that you not make it a regular occurrence to duel against your students. While I can see the necessity of it in this case, there is a certain decorum that a professor must maintain, and dueling one's students is not seen as appropriate," Dumbledore said. "And I must chastise you on another matter as well. It appears that you taught the shield charm to your first years on the first day of class. I have heard reports that they have been running around the halls, dueling with each other, simply because they now know how to defend themselves against basic attacks." The twinkle in his eyes told Harry and Hermione he wasn't upset, but simply lecturing them out of obligation.

"We understand, Grandpa. We'll make a note of it during our next class," Harry said honestly. He didn't want anything to come of this, so he thought it would be best to get it over and done with.

"Excellent. Once again I must praise you for your work today. It appears that I, in my not inconsiderable wisdom was correct in choosing you for this position. As you can tell, I am also the most humble person here at Hogwarts as well. But that aside, the very fact that the first years were practicing in the hall is a good omen. Outside of the fact that it is against school rules, you seem to have excited them more than I have seen in many years, and for that we must be thankful. There will be a thirst to learn that will prove invaluable in the coming battle."

Oh, Grandpa, one thing I keep forgetting to ask you. When we planned this class, one of our goals was to have the students be able to defend themselves and their families against attack, particularly the muggle-born students. But there is one obstacle in the way of that. The Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery would prevent students from practicing at home."

"You are correct about that, Harry. While the Decree does allow for the use of magic in situations of self-defense, I think it does pose some problems. I will speak with Madam Bones about the matter and see what can be done. If we can have the Decree modified, it would allow our 'little group' to take action outside of Hogwarts without fear of retribution from the Ministry."

"Exactly my thinking, but in not so many words," Harry admitted. "So you think you can talk Minister Bones into doing something about it?"

"I will try my best," Dumbledore said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. I promised to check in on Professor Black, and see how his first day as a full professor has gone."

With that, Dumbledore exited the room, leaving Harry and Hermione in silence. They returned to their tower to find the Grangers and Draco poring over their textbooks. They looked up as the portrait opened.

"How was your day?" Hermione asked.

Emma smiled broadly. She had been the one that Hermione had inherited her studious nature from. "It was great! I mean, yeah we've got a lot of homework, from every class but yours, but I actually can't wait to do it!" Harry laughed, while Dan rolled his eyes at his wife's behavior.

"I can't say I'm excited about the prospect of doing homework again," he said. "I thought I was done with that after we left dental school. But at the same time, I realize its importance. We can't hope to learn about this new world and our abilities if we don't put out the effort."

"That's exactly right, Daddy!" Hermione exclaimed as she rushed forward and hugged her father. She was excited because her father had never been one to read much. He had been the one who would occasionally discourage Hermione from keeping her nose in a book during her early years at school. Instead, Dan was more prone to entertainment and sports. Hermione had shared this fact with Harry, and that had given them an idea when they had visited Diagon Alley the past week for supplies.

Harry disappeared for a moment and brought out two small, wrapped packages. With a smile, he laid one in front of each of the Grangers.

"We thought that, since you are both here at Hogwarts with us now, it would only be fair for you to have these," he said. The Grangers looked up at him, confused. "Go ahead, open them."

Dan and Emma ripped the paper off of their boxes and opened them. Inside, they found miniature models of Firebolt brooms, one for each of them. Harry pulled out his wand and enlarged the models, revealing that they were in fact real, working brooms.

"You can't very well live in the magical world and not know how to fly a broom," Harry explained.

"Yes you can," Hermione argued. She had never been one for flying. Although her earlier self in this timeline had enjoyed it, the mind she now possessed did not.

Dan, as expected, was the most excited about the gift. "Awesome!" he exclaimed, sounding like a twelve year old. "You mean I can try that Quidbitch game now?

"You mean _Quidditch_," Harry corrected, chuckling at the inappropriate name Dan had used, "and yes, you can."

Dan and Harry spent the rest of the evening discussing Quidditch, and Draco even chimed in on the conversation at times. Meanwhile, Hermione and Emma were more focused on studies, with Hermione helping her mother with her homework. As the hour grew late, the group split apart to go to bed, ready to tackle the next day.

The rest of the week passed smoothly. Harry and Hermione were slowly managing to gain the respect of the seventh year students, while the fifth and sixth years were more accepting of the new professors. Dan had managed to rope Harry into giving him flying lessons, and Emma had even tagged along. Dan, being the most enthusiastic about the activity, took to it much quicker than his wife. However, Emma was no slouch, and it looked as though mother and daughter were not, in fact, identical. Watching the spectacle gave Hermione a new desire to attempt to fly again, but she would not admit that to her husband.

Very quickly, Friday evening arrived, and with it, the meeting of the new Dumbledore's Army. Harry and Hermione were trying to come up with a more appropriate name for the group, as they remembered what a stir the name had caused in their fifth year before.

At a quarter to seven, the three Potters, accompanied by the two Grangers, made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Due to their training together, it had been decided that these five would be the leaders of the group, while Harry and Hermione would be the overall teachers. They entered the empty classroom and set about ridding it of the desks and any impediments.

At seven, students began to trickle in. The first was Ron Weasley, who looked around like he was out of place. He was followed by Neville Longbottom and several other Gryffindors. Eventually, at about seven fifteen, Harry decided it was time to call the meeting to order. In all, just over three dozen students had shown up, including some other DA alum, including Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, and Cho Chang. The last two brought a shudder to Harry, as he remembered his history with them. He had tried to date Ginny in his seventh year before, only for it to fall apart when he realized that there was no goal to their relationship.

"Alright, I think it's time we got started," Harry announced. "This will serve as the advanced Defense class. Headmaster Dumbledore asked us to start it in order to have students prepared in case there is an attack on the castle. But more important than that, you need to be able to defeat your enemies in battle. The regular class is more geared towards defense. It is in this group that we will learn to truly defeat our enemies."

Hermione took the lead from Harry. "The group will be structured as such. Harry and I will demonstrate some new technique or spell, and then we will break up into groups to practice. There will be five groups, one led by myself, one by Harry, one by Draco, and one by each of my parents, Dan and Emma Granger."

Someone spoke up from the back. "Why them? They're only students!"

"They've been training with us for a long time now, and anything we teach here they will already know well. They will be able to correct any issues you have, and will essentially serve as coaches for each group. I see we have about forty students here, so how about groups of eight per person? We can break up later, but for now, let's get on to the lesson. We only planned for one hour each night for this class."

"So, what we're going to work on tonight is the Patronus charm. This group is only open to third years and above, and for good reason. Anyone younger than third year hasn't developed enough magically to perform a good number of the spells we are going to work on. Case in point, the Patronus charm. Normally, it isn't taught until sixth year, so most of you haven't had any experience with it. It's most basic use is to drive away a Dementor. Unfortunately, Voldemort may have the entire contingent of Dementors on his side before long," Harry said, remembering the events of his first life.

"So what you want to do is think of your happiest memory. Find your happiest memory and focus on it, channel all of your energy into that memory. When you think that you are firmly ensconced in that memory, perform the incantation 'Expecto Patronum. If performed correctly, you should have a corporeal, ghostly figure emerge from your wand. For example, watch this."

Harry focused on his memory of when Hermione was sent back by God, and when they both realized their love for each other. With this memory in his mind, he said the incantation for instructional purposes. "Expecto Patronum." Instantly, the ghostly blue stag that he had become so familiar with burst from his wand and began to roam the classroom, searching for its prey. Finding no Dementors, it slowly dissipated into nothingness.

"That is what it should look like when done correctly," Harry said. "Now, since we are just practicing, it's likely that most of you won't be able to get it on your first try. That's okay. It takes a long time to master this spell, so don't get discouraged. You may get no result, or you may get a fine mist to emerge from your wand. They're both just fine right now. So with that, let's break up into groups. Each of the five coaches will stand in their own area of the room, so simply find one and join up with them, alright?"

After a few minutes of shuffling, each of the five "coaches" had their group of about eight students. With half an hour to go before their scheduled end time, the five groups began to practice the Patronus charm. Harry's group was comprised of Ron, Neville, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and a few other students. The girls in the class had mainly flocked to Hermione and Emma, but Draco had a certain red-haired Weasley in his group. In fact, it seemed to Harry that Draco was spending more time helping Ginny than any of the other students. He would have to follow up on that later, he thought.

Harry turned his attention back to his group. Ron was having difficulty with the charm, but at the same time, he wasn't giving up easily. That was something that was a far cry from the Ron Harry had always known. Neville, as before, had a poor opinion of himself, and was prone to giving up. Harry had to, on multiple occasions, comfort him and coax him back into trying again.

By the end of the class, none of the students had managed to conjure a corporeal Patronus. However, a large number of them had been able to create the mist, which was just one step away from the full charm.

"I think that's enough for tonight,' Harry announced, a few minutes after the clock had struck eight. "Keep on practicing the Patronus charm. We'll work on it again next week. Great job tonight, everyone," he said, dismissing the group.

The Potters and Grangers returned to Potter Tower and caught up on some homework. Harry and Hermione spent some time planning out their lesson plan for the next week in more detail, and by ten o'clock, they were ready to retire. They climbed into bed, and within moments, they were fast asleep.

The weekend was spent with more flying lessons for Dan and Emma, and Hermione paid close attention to them, as she was trying to pick up a few pointers for herself as well. She had sworn she wouldn't reveal to Harry her newfound interest in flying too early, but at the same time, she wanted to surprise him sometime in the future by showing her skills.

Sunday morning arrived, and Harry and Hermione slept past their alarm and didn't wake until after eight. They rushed to get ready, and raced down to the Great Hall, not wanting to miss breakfast. The threw open the doors and walked down the center aisle to the Head Table, not noticing the eerie silence that permeated the Hall. As they sat down, they noticed the stares of everyone in the Hall was focused solely on them.

Harry glanced over at Dumbledore's seat, and found it empty. He was just about to ask Hermione about it, when a burst of red flame erupted on the table in front of him, depositing Fawkes in it's wake. The phoenix had a piece of parchment tucked in his claws, and he offered it up to Harry. Harry unrolled it, and read its contents, as Fawkes disappeared in another burst of flames.

_Harry,_

_Please meet me in my office at your earliest convenience._

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Thinking he would be able to get some answers regarding the odd behavior of the students, Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall and made their way to the Headmaster's office. The pair entered the office to find Dumbledore talking with Remus Lupin. Their conversation ceased as soon as the Potters entered.

Harry took a seat and received a sad look from Dumbledore. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"Harry, Voldemort has struck again," Dumbledore said simply.

"What was the target?" Harry asked, the feeling of panic now replaced with one of resigned acceptance. At least nothing had happened to anyone he knew.

"Harry, Voldemort attacked the town of Little Whinging, in Surrey this morning. Actually, one house in particular: Number Four, Privet Drive. There were no survivors."

Hermione wrapped her arms around her husband. "Harry, I'm so sorry. I know you weren't too fond of them…"

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" Harry interrupted, looking at her.

"They were your family. I know they were terrible to you, but…" she trailed off.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. "How did it happen?" Harry asked Dumbledore, piercing the silence.

"From what the responding Aurors could tell, the house was magically sealed, preventing anyone from escaping. They found the remains of three bodies inside the house, all three had been completely inverted. Someone had used a spell to turn the Dursleys inside-out. They didn't live for more than a few minutes."

Harry clenched his fist in anger. He was fuming. Remus stepped up to Harry. "Hey, Harry, I know you're upset-"

"UPSET! You're damn right I'm upset!" Harry roared. "I could have prevented this! There were wards around that house to protect against this, and I let them fall!" Harry spun and left the room in a fit of fury.

As the door slammed behind him, Hermione looked to the Headmaster and Remus. Remus was the one who spoke first. "I tried to keep a lid on it in the paper this morning. While you can't keep a Death Eater attack secret for long, I did my best to downplay it, so as not to create a panic," he explained, revealing his presence at the meeting.

"Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore began, "I believe your services are required at this point. Young Mr. Potter believes himself to be at fault in this matter, and I believe he needs you now more than ever." Hermione nodded and quickly rushed out of the office.

"I fear that Tom is continuing his reign of terror," Dumbldore told Remus. "With his first attack he caused a panic amongst the public. With his second, he aims to strike terror at the heart of the savior of the wizarding world. God help us when he strikes again."

Hermione hurried to Potter Tower and searched the rooms there. Finding nothing, she hastily opened Harry's trunk and pulled out the Marauder's Map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," she said, touching her wand to the parchment.

Instantly, a map of Hogwarts spread across the page, revealing the location of everyone in the castle and on the grounds. As Hermione searched the map, she didn't notice her parents walk into the room.

"Where's Harry?" Emma asked softly, jerking Hermione out of her focus on the map. Apparently, they knew. They had to know. They were in the Great Hall with everyone else, and from the looks of it, all of the other students knew.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. She focused her attention back on the Marauders Map, hoping to find some trace of her husband. Dan and Emma peered over her shoulder.

"What's this?" Dan asked.

"It's a map of Hogwarts that is charmed to show the location of everyone in the castle and on the grounds. It was made by the Marauders, four of the biggest pranksters and troublemakers in Hogwarts history. Fortunately, they all seemed to mature," Hermione replied half-heartedly.

"Wait, you mean you know them?" Dan asked.

Hermione nodded. "Actually, you do too. Their names were Peter Pettigrew, who is dead now, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and…James Potter. It's ironic that I'm using the father's invention to search for the son."

"I couldn't think of a more noble cause," Emma said, comforting her daughter.

"Thanks, mum. Wait! There he is!" Hermione pointed at a spot on the map. It looked as though Harry was right in the middle of the castle. But looking closer, Hermione could actually tell he wasn't _in_ the castle, but above it. "He's flying above the castle," she said. "Mum, can I borrow your broom?"

Emma nodded sadly. Hermione raced into her parent's room and emerged a moment later with one of the Firebolts. She ran as fast as she could out of the tower and towards the front doors to the school. As soon as she exited, she mounted the racing broom and took off, hoping that her observations would pay off.

Unsteadily, Hermione slowly approached Harry's location, taking care not to fall off of the broom. She soon spotted him, hovering high over the castle, just sitting on his broom, head bowed. Hermione slowed and stopped next to him, close enough to wrap one of her arms around his trembling form.

"Shhh…It's alright, Harry. I'm here. It's not your fault this happened. You couldn't have done anything to prevent the attack, you know that. You're just blaming yourself for everything again," she said softly. If she listened hard enough, Hermione could hear the sobs coming from Harry.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. They just sat there on their brooms, wrapped in an embrace by Hermione's arms. This was her true calling, she thought, to be by Harry's side, through thick and thin. That, after all, was what she had promised to do on their wedding day.

Her thoughts were broken by Harry's voice. "You're wrong, you know. I could have stopped this."

"And how would you have done that, Harry? You didn't know Voldemort would order the attack. And even if you did, you couldn't anticipate when."

"The wards. Grandpa told me in our last life that I had to go there every summer to recharge them, so that the house would be protected. But I was stupid and completely ignored that when I came back. I haven't been back to that house in more than three years, so no wonder they weren't protected. It must have been child's play to kill them all. I know they hated me, but still, I can't help but blame myself because someone else died because of my carelessness."

Hermione could sense motion behind her. "Harry." It was Emma's voice. Hermione turned her head to see Dan and Emma sharing the third broom, both with sympathetic looks on their faces. "Don't blame yourself for what's happened. If you had stayed there, nothing that has happened now would have happened. We never would have gotten to know you as we have, and our lives wouldn't be the same. Everything good that has happened since then has been because you refused to go back to those monsters. Don't go second guessing that decision."

"But they're dead just because they knew me," Harry objected. "What'll happen to you? What'll happen to anyone else who's even remotely close to me? The same thing happened before; Sirius died, and it was my fault."

"Oh, Harry, let's not go through that again," Hermione said. "Sirius died because he loved you, because he came to help you. You can't blame yourself for his love towards you. Take it as a blessing, and cherish it. You've been given a second chance at life. You've saved Sirius, given him a new life. Odds are that he won't face the same fate as before. Harry, you've saved more lives than we can ever begin to count. Don't go dwelling on the ones that you failed in. Revel in the ones you've succeeded in."

Harry began to sob again. "Harry. Son," Dan said instead, "your relatives didn't die because you didn't protect them. They died because a madman is hell-bent on death and destruction. You can't be everywhere all the time. This is war, people are bound to die. The point is not to dwell on those who have died, but to learn from it, so that you can prevent others from dying as well."

Harry considered this for a moment, and the four sat in silence. They could feel raindrops beginning to fall, but they didn't care. The only care in the world for two Grangers and one Potter lay right in front of them. His peace of mind was all that mattered right now.

"I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about the Dursleys dying," Harry said, regaining his composure.

"And you don't have to," Dan replied. "But you need to accept it and move on. Nothing you can do can bring them back. Now we have to work on saving others from the same fate."

Harry nodded before looking back out at the vista before him. He sat there in silence for a minute before leaning forward on his broom and slowly descending to the ground. Hermione followed shakily, accompanied by her parents.

The four returned to Potter Tower in silence, but inwardly, Hermione and her parents were celebrating. They had just foiled part of Voldemort's plan. Harry was no longer on the precipice of insanity and anguish. Sure, he was still torn up inside, but he was coming to terms with his guilt, and that was all they could ask for.

A/N: I just had to do it. I hate the Dursleys, and I needed a new attack for Voldemort. After that, all of the pieces just fell into place. I'm starting to see Harry in this story as a character akin to Jack Bauer. Merciless, if need be, but at the same time, flawed and vulnerable. I want to write him more like that character from here on. That's not to say I want to make Harry a cold-blooded killer, far from it. But I just see him as a tamer version of Jack. This is not a lasting angst here, either. This is an instant reaction to the news of the Dursley's dying, and Harry it just torn up for a short time. I usually don't, and can't write angst, so it's not going to happen much. I just felt that Harry has shown too little emotion so far, but maybe I took it a bit far here? Also, I wanted to include Ron in some fashion in the story. I felt it would be a bit too contrived to put him in the same role as Draco was in canon. But anyway, please leave feedback in the form of reviews. Thank you!


	19. The Bearers of the Cross

Author's Note: Thank you for the positive reviews of the last chapter. There are a few reviews though that I'd like to address.

Ladysavay: When I wrote the 'angsty' part of the last chapter, I specifically chose something that Harry _could_ feel guilty about. If just random civilians died, I wasn't about to make Harry get depressed about it. But in this case, Harry technically _could_ have saved the Dursleys, had he stayed there to recharge the wards (Yes, I know that the wards were pretty much just a plot device in canon that were never actually used). If the Dursleys had died outside of their house, I wouldn't make Harry depressed either. It is simply the fact that he could have helped prevent it that made him feel this way, and feel worse than he otherwise would. Or at least, that is my reasoning behind how I wrote it.

FictionA: Thank you for the review. And thank you for breaking it up into categories. Let's take them in order, shall we?

_DADA classes_: I thought that writing hell-raising classes would be a bit over the top, but I still wanted to give them a challenge. It was a fine line to walk between being too easy and too hard.

_Dueling club:_ Read this chapter for that. (Hint: there were no sixth and seventh years who were in the first class. They still did not respect Harry and Hermione enough to show up.)

_Weasleys:_ Thanks for the idea. I'll try to find a spot to work it in. I like writing Sirius almost as much as I liked writing Dan during the 'talks.' My biggest problem would be coming up with creative pranks for the two. But I'll see what I can do.

_Dursleys:_ Read on.

_Brooms:_ Read on.

_Heroes:_ I don't know about making Harry a merciless killer on the level of Jack. I'll stop there, as you said not to say anything. It'll develop as the story progresses.

_Ron:_ Thank you, I'd thought people wouldn't like this turn for him.

_Draco:_ This chapter will deal with him more. I agree, he has been relegated to the background somewhat. That's one of the reasons I made him a Potter, because, to be frank, I was sort of forgetting to include him in scenarios.

Allyieh: ???

Anyway, thank you for the reviews again. Please continue to review, and as always, I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 19

The Bearers of the Cross

_Previously on Harry Potter and the Divine Plan…_

_The four returned to Potter Tower in silence, but inwardly, Hermione and her parents were celebrating. They had just foiled part of Voldemort's plan. Harry was no longer on the precipice of insanity and anguish. Sure, he was still torn up inside, but he was coming to terms with his guilt, and that was all they could ask for._

_And now the continuation…_

**Five Months Later**

Harry Potter tossed in his bed. The last five months had been full of triumph and tragedy for the wizarding world. Voldemort continued to make his presence known through random attacks against both magical and non magical targets alike. While there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the attacks, they tended to average one per week over the last several months. All told, more than two hundred innocent civilians were now dead, and many more injured.

The Aurors had found that, even with their increased numbers and improved leadership, they were unable to prevent any of the attacks. They were only able to respond to the attacks and clean up the messes. That isn't to say that none of the attackers had been captured, but only a dozen Death Eaters were now in Azkaban awaiting trial and the Dementor's kiss.

But the Ministry's campaign against Voldemort wasn't confined to simply responding to his terrorist attacks. Amelia Bones had been confirmed by the Wizengamot as the new permanent Minister, and under her leadership, they had taken action elsewhere to attempt to cripple Voldemort. Through an alliance with the goblins at Gringotts, the Ministry had frozen the vaults of all suspected Death Eaters from the first war against Voldemort, under the pretense that they may be using the funds to rebuild their dark forces. In addition, all visitors to the Ministry of Magic were now required to submit to an examination of their forearms, in an attempt to find the Dark Mark. One suspected Death Eater had been captured using this screening method during its trial phase, so it now enjoyed a permanent position in the Ministry's security repertoire.

The death of the Dursleys had been difficult to cover up, but it was explained away by the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee as death by carbon-monoxide poisoning. The house at Number 4, Privet Drive, as well as all of the Dursley's assets had been bequeathed to Harry's Aunt Marge, who had been named sole beneficiary in the Dursleys' will. They had left Harry nothing.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione had been working hard to try to get their students as prepared for war as possible. The first years were now up to par with the third years from the year before, while seventh years were approaching Auror level in combat. The Professors Potter had decided to make it a part of their curriculum starting in third year to focus on silent casting, as it would give any student an advantage in a fight. Normally, that technique wasn't taught until sixth year. Wandless magic was even introduced briefly in seventh year.

At the same time, the reformed DA had taken on a life of its own. Through the natural progression of the material, a good number of students were weeded out of the group. While no sixth or seventh years had shown up to the first meeting, several had now joined, and most of the Slytherins that had attended the first meeting had not returned for the second. Now, just over thirty students remained, and it had become a close-knit group. They had yet to be called into action to defend Hogwarts, or go outside the school on a mission, but when the time came, they would be ready.

On a more personal note, it was becoming more and more obvious to Harry and Hermione that Draco was getting to know Ginny Weasley more personally than either would have liked. While he had not come out and admitted his feelings for her, nor had he asked her out yet, Harry and Hermione were concerned about it, and were planning on confronting Draco about the relationship. They did not want him to get hurt.

As the months had passed, Dan had tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but unfortunately, he had not been selected. That did not discourage him from attending every match and becoming a diehard fan of the sport. He practiced on his broom daily, promising himself that he would make the team the next year. The Gryffindor team was using their backup Seeker this year, following the forced resignation of Harry, as a professor could not play. Dan was hoping that he could either fill that vacancy, or an expected Beater vacancy next year.

But in the time of growing danger, the Potters and Grangers, along with Sirius Black, had decided to remain at Hogwarts for the Christmas break. They felt that the castle was the most protected place in the magical world, and they were among the biggest targets for Voldemort and his followers. That did not stop them from having a great family Christmas, however. With all of them at Hogwarts, along with the Dumbledores, Harry had his largest family Christmas ever, and he loved every minute of it. He gave both Dumbledores, along with Sirius and Draco, the same pendants he had given the Grangers and Hermione. For the latter three, one of his gifts was to change them to act as a portkey to another person, should that person be in trouble. The pendants of everyone else would warm up if one person signaled they were in danger, and only a simply touch of the wand to the pendant would activate the portkey to that person. Harry had also bought Hermione her own Firebolt as another Christmas present from him, after seeing that she could at least handle herself somewhat well on a broom.

It was against this backdrop that Harry awoke early on a Monday morning, drenched in sweat, in the middle of February. He hadn't had a nightmare about Voldemort in a long time, but for the first time in months, he just had. Careful not to disturb Hermione, who was still asleep next to him, Harry turned over and sat on the edge of the bed. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that it was two in the morning.

Hearing a moan, Harry turned to see Hermione turning over and finding an empty spot where Harry usually lay. Noticing his absence, Hermione slowly opened her eyes to see Harry sitting on the side of the bed.

"Hey," she whispered, stretching. "What are you doing up?"

"Nightmare," Harry responded simply.

"Want to talk about it?" Hermione asked.

"Well, its not so much _bad_ as it is…enlightening," Harry responded. "I'm just not sure if I should wake Grandpa for it or tell him in the morning."

"It is morning, Harry," Hermione said, obviously attempting an early morning joke to try to lighten the mood.

"You know what I mean," Harry replied with a sigh. "I guess I'll just wait until later, when I'm sure he's awake."

"Harry, you know he's awake. I doubt the man ever sleeps. Haven't you ever noticed that whenever we need to visit him in his office, he's already there?"

"Yeah, but out of common decency we can wait. It's not like this nightmare, vision, whatever you want to call it isn't so urgent that we have to do something right now." With that, Harry threw his feet back up on the bed and lay back down. He wrapped his arms around Hermione's small form and they both went back to sleep.

* * *

Harry and Hermione awoke earlier than their alarm was charmed for, and set about getting ready. They planned to speak to Dumbledore about Harry's dream from earlier in the morning, before their classes. It took just over thirty minutes for both of them to shower and get dressed, and by six thirty they were on their way to the Headmaster's office.

The walk to Dumbledore's office took a little more than ten minutes, as the inside of Hogwarts was larger than the outside would make it appear. They said the password, which was 'Kisses' this year, and rode the staircase to the top. Harry and Hermione had had a good laugh at Dumbledore's choice for a password this year, as it had the double meaning of being a sweet, but at the same time, hinting at his now-revealed relationship with his wife.

Just as Harry raised his hand to knock on the door to the office, they heard Dumbledore's voice coming from the other side. "Come in Harry, Hermione," he said. The two entered the office to find Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, clad in silver robes that seemed to glisten in the morning light streaming through his window.

"Now what can I do for you two so early in the morning?" he asked.

"Grandpa, I had a nightmare last night. Actually, it may be more accurate to say it was a vision of Voldemort again," Harry explained.

"Really? And what might it have been about, Harry?"

"Maybe it would be best to just show you," Harry said, motioning to Dumbledore's pensieve.

"Ah, excellent idea, Harry," Dumbledore commended him, getting up and fetching the dish. He placed it on his desk, and Harry used his wand to pull out the silvery strand that served as his memory of the dream. He placed it in the bowl and allowed it to sit there for a moment.

With the memory in place, Harry nodded to Dumbledore and Hermione, and the three dove into the dish to relive Harry's nightmare. They arrived in what appeared to be a sitting room, lit only by a small fire in the hearth on one wall. The room was sparsely furnished, and the only real piece of furniture they could see was a large chair in the center of the room.

As they could walk around in the memory, the three did so, and stood in front of the chair, to see Voldemort sitting in it. They then heard the only door into the room open, so they moved out of the way to get a better view. Bellatrix Lestrange walked into the room, and closed the door behind herself.

"You called, master," she said as she bowed before Voldemort.

"Yes, Bellatrix. I trust you have hidden the item I entrusted to you where we discussed?"

"I have master. It is at Lake Lerna as ordered. However, I don't see the importance of a simple cup-"

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed. "Don't ever think to question my judgment. Your master ordered you to do something. Do not question it, simply carry out the command!" He released the spell, and the whimpering form of Bellatrix Lestrange stopped quivering on the floor.

"Now, were you able to put the security measures in place?" Voldemort asked impatiently.

Bellatrix rose to her knees shakily. "Yes, master. Everything went according to your instruction. However, one of your newest followers was killed in the process."

"A pity," Voldemort sneered, musing to himself. "We cannot afford any more losses right now. Those bumbling fools at the Ministry have managed to get lucky a few times and capture some of my followers, and they even think they stand a chance of defeating me. They have no idea about how great the source of my power is. Leave, Bellatrix!"

Bellatrix slowly stood, still suffering from the aftereffects of the Cruciatis curse. "I said leave!" Voldemort roared. "Crucio!" He sent another curse at Lestrange. The door opened, and two masked Death Eaters, apparently having heard the orders of their master, dragged the screaming Bellatrix from the room. Just as the door closed, Voldemort released the curse, and sunk back into the chair.

The memory blurred, signaling its end, and the three emerged from the pensieve. Dumbledore sat back down behind his desk and stroked his beard, his mind deep in thought. Hermione, meanwhile, looked at Harry in shock.

"Lake Lerna! She did say Lake Lerna, right?" she asked frantically. Harry nodded. "Oh, this isn't good. Not good at all."

"Mrs. Potter, please calm down," Dumbledore chastised. "It does no good fretting over what we cannot control. I'm sure Tom placed the Cup there for just the reason you're thinking of."

Harry looked between the two, confusion in his eyes. "Would somebody please tell me exactly what we're talking about?" he asked impatiently.

"My apologies, Harry. It appears that Hermione and I were so caught up in considering the implications of this vision that we forgot about you. Lake Lerna is notorious in Greek history as the home of the Hydra, one of the fiercest dark creatures ever known. According to legend, it was defeated by Hercules as one of his Twelve Labours."

"Okay, then if it was defeated, why are we getting so worked up about this?" Harry asked.

"From the sounds of it, Harry," Hermione interjected, "Voldemort has found a way to bring the Hydra back. That's what's so dangerous about this. The Lernaean Hydra was one of the creatures of the underworld, one of the spawns of hell. It's no laughing matter if Voldemort has brought it back."

"Oh, come off it. I've faced a basilisk twice and survived, how hard could this be?" Harry boasted, puffing out his chest.

"Harry, the Hydra is like facing nine basilisks. At the same time. Each head is a serpent unto itself. Oh, this is bad," she began again.

"Okay, but we have to get the Cup. There are only two Horcruxes left, and if we don't destroy them, there's no way of defeating Voldemort, is there?" Dumbledore shook his head at Harry's question. "Then there's only one thing we can do. We have to get the Cup," Harry declared definitively.

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Potter, I must agree with Harry in this case. Above all else, we must destroy Hufflepuff's cup to render Tom mortal. All other concerns are secondary. But we cannot go into this blindly, we must have a plan. I would like the two of you to research the Hydra, as I believe you have an extensive break period today. Come back here later tonight after your final class, and we will discuss what you have learned. Now onto another matter. Harry, I've been meaning to ask you if you've noticed any pattern to these visions, as they don't seem to appear at regular intervals. I am curious as to what you were doing last night before you fell asleep."

Harry looked aghast. "Grandpa, with all due respect, it's none of your business what I do before I go to bed!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "You must forgive an old man, Harry. That is not what I was implying. I was simply wondering if you had done anything that might give us an indication as to why you seem to have these visions at random."

"I don't know. And what I did last night wouldn't have effected the dream," Harry said with his arms crossed.

"Have you been practicing your occlumency every night?" Dumbledore pressed. Harry nodded. "Then that eliminates the possibility of it being a form of legilimency," Dumbledore said in defeat.

"Does it, Grandpa? What if it's a special form of legilimency that takes advantage of our special connection?

"That may be possible," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard again. "I will have to look into it. But for now, we can count ourselves lucky that the visions we have been privy to have turned out real. Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear that the house-elves have prepared a delectable breakfast for us this morning."

* * *

Harry and Hermione left the office at seven-thirty, and made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. As they walked down the hall, they could sense someone following them. Suddenly, Harry felt a prick on the back of his head. He spun around to see the Weasley twins holding one of his hairs.

"That's it?" he asked, bewildered. "What a pathetic prank! I thought you two would try something more…I don't know…bold."

The twins shrugged simultaneously. "What can we say?" Fred said.

"Sometimes simple…" George began.

"…is better," they finished in unison. The twins then turned and ran down the hall.

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes and continued on their way to breakfast. The entered the Great Hall to find it completely full, and Dumbledore already at the Head table, with their usual seats next to him. The two Potters sat down and began to serve themselves from a selection of traditional breakfast foods. Harry found that he and Hermione already had chilled glasses of pumpkin juice ready for them, similar to the other professors. Between bites, Harry took a long drink from his glass and went back to eating.

A moment later, Harry began to feel strange. He felt like he was beginning to lose control of his faculties, and that his body was moving outside of his control. Suddenly, he found himself standing up and climbing up on top of the Head Table. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling, muttering an unknown incantation. All of the floating candles in the Great Hall were extinguished, shrouding the Hall in darkness, with the exception of a lone light shining down directly on Harry.

Harry walked down the Head Table until he was standing directly in front of Sirius. The Potions professor put down his glass of pumpkin juice, out of which he had just enjoyed a drink, and stared up at Harry, confused. Without warning, Harry put his wand to his throat and began to sing to Sirius.

"_Look into my eyes - you will see_

_What you mean to me_

_Search your heart - search your soul_

_And when you find me there you'll search no more"_

As this was going on, Hermione was frantically looking around the Hall to find the reason behind this spectacle. Her gaze landed squarely on two red-headed fifth years, who were trying their hardest to appear innocent. Her attention was jerked away as she head Sirius's voice join in.

"_Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for_

_You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for_

_You know it's true_

_Everything I do - I do it for you"_

At this point, Harry jumped off of the table, and Sirius hopped over it, so that both of them were in front of the table, and in front of the entire student body. They stood before each other and gazed into each other's eyes.

"_Look into your heart - you will find_

_There's nothin' there to hide_

_Take me as I am - take my life_

_I would give it all - I would sacrifice_

_Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for_

_I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more_

_You know it's true_

_Everything I do - I do it for you"_

Catcalls were heard throughout the Great Hall, and Hermione was desperately trying every counter-curse she knew to try and break her husband and his godfather out of the trance they were in. But it was to no avail. Nothing she could throw at them seemed to work. She turned her attention back to the display in front of her. Harry had quieted down, and now Sirius was singing on his own.

"_There's no love - like your love_

_And no other - could give more love_

_There's nowhere - unless you're there_

_All the time - all the way"_

Harry joined in for the next verse so that the two were again singing together and to each other.

"_Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for_

_I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more_

_I would fight for you - I'd lie for you_

_Walk the wire for you - yeah I'd die for you_

_You know it's true_

_Everything I do - I do it for you"_

_**(A/N "Everything I Do" is a song by Bryan Adams, and all rights are reserved to him and the publishing label. I do not own the song, or anything related to it.)**_

As the pair finished, the lights rose in the Great Hall, leaving Harry and Sirius looking at each other, and then at the student body with beet-red faces. Everyone in the Great Hall, with the exception of Harry, Sirius, and Hermione, broke out in raucous applause. The Weasley twins seemed to be the most enthusiastic about he whole matter. It was not difficult to see who was behind the prank.

Harry and Sirius returned to their seats and resumed eating, never lifting their heads to look at their audience. Dumbledore stood to address the students of Hogwarts.

"Thank you Professors Potter and Black, for that most…unusual performance. However, in the future, all performances before the school should be cleared in advance. The same goes for anyone who might be thinking of…inciting such a performance. Now, I believe classes will be starting soon, so let's finish up this delicious meal, shall we?" The Headmaster sat back down to finish eating.

The rest of the meal passed smoothly, but mainly because Harry never raised his head to look out at his spectators. As soon as he was finished eating, he rushed out of the Great Hall to the DADA classroom, where he would be safe until class started. It was here that Hermione found him a few minutes later.

"I can't believe they got me," Harry bemoaned. "I thought I would be above their petty pranks by now."

Hermione put her arm around her husband. "Think of it this way, they didn't just get you, they got Sirius too. And he was a Marauder. So you aren't alone in this." She stopped talking when she saw the thoughtful look on Harry's face.

"Marauder…Marauders…That's it! Hermione, you're a genius!" Harry exclaimed, kissing Hermione on her forehead. "Just have to wait until classes are over…" Harry mumbled to himself. Hermione chuckled, trying to figure out what crazy plan Harry was concocting in his head.

* * *

The first two classes of the day did not pass smoothly. Harry faced his fair share of ridicule at the hands of his students. Fortunately, while they joked good naturedly with him about it, the Grangers and Draco were not among the ridiculers. For that, Harry was glad.

At the end of the fourth year class, Harry made a short announcement. "Mr. Potter, wow, that still sounds weird to say, would you please stay after class?" Draco nodded. As the rest of the class filed out of the room, Draco, Harry, and Hermione remained behind.

"Draco, do you have any classes right now?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head.

"Not for another hour and a half," he replied.

"Good. Let's take a walk, shall we?" Harry suggested. The three left the classroom, and Harry led the way down to the dungeons of the school, where the potions classes were still held. They arrived just in time to see the last student leave the classroom, so the three walked through the door to find Sirius hunched over his desk, shaking his head in defeat. He looked up to see the newcomers.

"Not in almost twenty years have I been so humiliated," he admitted. "I mean, it wasn't even that original of a prank, yet they still got us. I don't even see how."

"It's simple really," Hermione said in her best lecture voice. "There's really only one way they could have pulled it off. Sirius, did you have a hair plucked from you sometime today?" Sirius nodded. "Harry did too. My best guess would be that the twins brewed some potion and keyed it to each of you, so that you would both be forced to sing to each other. They then tainted your pumpkin juice with the potion."

"Makes sense," Sirius said thoughtfully. "We pulled a number of pranks that way. Great way to make a fool out of someone."

"Sirius," Harry began, "we need to get them back. Yes, I know you've 'grown up,'" Harry used finger quotes on the last two words, "but you can't let something like this slide."

"You know, Harry, I really shouldn't. I'm a professor now. I have an image to uphold. I should be above…oh to hell with it. Who am I kidding? I'm a Marauder at heart. But I'm not sure we can do this alone, we'll need help."

Sirius walked over to the fireplace in the corner of the classroom and pulled out a small jar of floo powder. He threw some in and called out a name. A moment after pulling his head from the green flames, Remus Lupin emerged from the fireplace.

"Thanks for coming, Moony," Sirius said, hugging his last living friend. "We've got a special project that we need help with. You see, we got pranked this morning. Harry and I did. By the Weasley twins no less. We need your help to get back at them."

"Oh no you don't. Those days are behind me…" Remus began.

"Like hell they are," Sirius objected. "You know you want to get back in the game more than anything. Don't you try to pull that excuse on me. You were always the brains of the operation, and now we want your help on some…logistical matters."

"What have you got in mind?" Remus asked, a small smile beginning to creep onto his face.

"Well," Harry began, "I have a few ideas I'd like to run past you. I thought we could use Draco and Hermione in this as well. After all, the more the merrier, right? Wait, I just realized something. Hermione, why aren't you on our case about this? Why aren't you trying to talk us out of doing anything in retaliation?"

Hermione began to laugh. "You mean besides the fact that I know that once you set your mind to something, there's no turning you away from it? I guess the real answer would be that I think we need to have a little fun. We've been far too serious for the last few years. Time to break loose a little."

"Okay, Harry," Remus began, "what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking we could start with…"

* * *

Later that evening, Harry and Hermione returned to Dumbledore's office. They had spent a short amount of time after their meeting with Sirius and Remus in the library, researching the Hydra. As they entered the office, they found both Dumbledores engaged in a conversation. Seeing the two professors enter, Professor Dumbledore bade them goodnight before she left the office, leaving the other three alone.

"I take it you've done some research into the Hydra?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione nodded.

"We found out its supposed exact location, as well as its weaknesses and strengths. Most importantly, we found how Hercules was able to defeat it the first time around," she explained.

"And, pray tell, how was it done?" Dumbledore asked, in a tone that belied his knowledge of the subject.

"He used his sword to cut off each head, and then flaming arrows were used to cauterize each wound so that the heads could not reproduce. You see, normally, each head that is cut off would spawn two in its place. This was meant to signify the futility of trying to defeat the Hydra."

"A most ingenious solution," Dumbledore said. "I believe that a similar method could be used magically to defeat the beast. I do not think it necessary to force Harry here to use the Sword of Gryffindor to slay the creature. A simple slicing charm will do the trick nicely."

"So when are we going to do this?" Harry asked, piping in for the first time in the conversation.

"I think any time before this weekend would be too early," Dumbledore said. "This Saturday would be a good choice, as the professors are not as necessary on the weekends as they are during the week when they have classes. We could make a day trip out of it. I've always wanted to see Greece at this time of year."

"I assume that this is meant just for the three of us?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "Unfortunately, while I believe the rest of your family is more than capable of defending themselves, we are not going up against simple Death Eaters here. It is far too dangerous for them to go this time."

"I guess I understand. They're just not going to like being left out again," Harry said.

Truth be told, the Grangers and Draco were not happy about being left out of the loop again. Dan and Draco, in particular, begged and pleaded with Harry and Hermione to allow them to go with them. But the two stayed firm, instead promising that they could participate in the first battle against Voldemort and his followers, if they played nice.

The rest of the week passed without incident, and on Thursday, Harry announced to his Defense class that during the DA meeting the next night, they would have a special guest who would observe and maybe participate. The session would be held out on the Quidditch pitch.

Thursday night, Remus arrived at Hogwarts, a day early for his special appearance, but he was not there for a social call. He had a serious task to undertake that night, with the help of several others.

* * *

Fred Weasley awoke Friday morning at seven. Tiredly, he opened his eyes and then quickly shut them again. Slowly, he opened them again, hoping that what he had seen was just a dream. It wasn't. He heard his brother George rustle in the bed next to his, so he called out to him.

"George. Wake up. You've got to see this."

George moaned. "What is it now?" he asked, his face in the pillow.

"Just get your face out of that pillow and open your eyes, will you?" Wearily, George complied, and he too took in the sight before him. When he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of the fifth year Gryffindor boy's dormitory. But what was most striking was the fact that their dorm-mates and their beds were all on the ceiling.

"What're they doing on the ceiling?" George asked his twin.

Fred chuckled lightly. "They aren't on the ceiling, George. We are." At this revelation, George looked around, and sure enough, the door was upside down, and there was indeed a rug on the 'ceiling.'

"Now how are we gonna get out of this one?" Fred asked. Almost as if on cue, as soon as he finished asking that, both Fred and George fell from their beds and landed hard on the floor. They looked up to see their beds and belongings begin to creak on the ceiling, so they quickly rushed out the door of their dormitory. Just as they closed the door behind them, they heard a loud crash, from what they assumed was their beds falling onto the floor.

The twins looked at each other. "That was pretty clever…" George began.

"But we can't let them get away with it, can we?" Fred finished. A simple plan passed between the two with only a glance, and the Weasley twins set about getting ready for the day.

The passed breakfast without incident, and left the Great Hall to go to their first class of the day: Charms. On their way, they saw Sirius walking down one of the corridors, and they figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to have their revenge. They followed him silently until just before he reached his classroom door. Just as Sirius was about to open it, both twins pulled out their wands and fired a spell at Sirius to cover him in sticky, black tar.

But the spell never reached the Potions professor. Instead, an instant after they fired, both twins found themselves covered in the same tar bound for Sirius. Sirius turned around and looked at the twins in mock shock.

"Oh, dear," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I do believe that you've found yourselves in a sticky situation. Best head on up to the hospital wing so Madame Pomfrey can take care of that little problem for you." With that, he entered the potions classroom to start his first class of the day.

Defeated, Fred and George trudged up to the hospital wing, and it took over a half hour for the nurse to undo the spell they had used. The twins had perfected it to take extra long to reverse, but even with their knowledge of the jinx, it still took a good amount of time.

Fred and George didn't see Sirius or Harry for the rest of the day until dinner that night, as they did not have either potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts that day. However, they felt the effects of their malfunctioning wands all day. Every time they tried to perform a spell in class, it seemed to rebound back onto them. Transfiguration was particularly painful for the twins, as every time they tried to transfigure an object, such as a rat into a cat, they became the unwitting feline. It took Professor Dumbledore all class to clean up after the twins. Dejectedly, the twins went through all of their classes, and finally made it to dinner. The meal that night was comprised of a main dish of roast turkey. The house-elves were notorious for making a delicious turkey, so all of the students and faculty, with the exception of a select few, partook in the main course.

The twins looked up at the Head table to see Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and for some reason, Remus at the table. All four were smiling. Suddenly, the Great Hall grew deathly silent. Not a sound was heard. Feeling a strange sensation, Fred and George looked up at some of the other students. All of a sudden, a beak appeared on the face of one student in Hufflepuff. A Ravenclaw began to sprout big, yellow feathers. Within moments, all of the students and faculty in the Great Hall, with the exception of the four at the Head Table and one at the Gryffindor table, were experiencing some sort of transformation. A minute later, everyone, from first years up to seventh years, and even some professors, were now giant chickens. Without warning, all of the chickens jumped up onto their tables, upsetting the dishes there and waited. For what, they were not sure. All they knew was that they had no control over their bodies.

Music began to play. Loud, upbeat, accordion music. A great groan was heard from the muggle-borns in the Great Hall, but they began to dance anyway, against their own free will. One could easily tell those of magical lineage, as they had no idea about the Chicken Dance, but they too participated all the same.

The dance went on for over two minutes, and at the end, great fireworks shot up from the sides of the Great Hall, exploding in the air overhead. Several of the explosions caused a number of students to take cover, but the display was only brief. With one final explosion, larger than the rest, a huge hanging banner appeared in the Great Hall, hanging over the Head Table.

**Messrs. Moony, Padfoot, Slithers and Prongslet, with special guest Mrs. Prongslet**

**Are Pleased to Present:**

**A Prank Done Right**

**Courtesy of:**

**The Marauders Reformed**

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and Remus, along with Draco, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table as though nothing had happened, sat there with neutral looks on their faces as, one by one, the chickens in the Great Hall turned back to normal. Draco looked up at the banner they had come up with and remembered his Marauder naming, of which he was not too proud.

_Flashback to Monday…_

_Hermione began to laugh. "You mean besides the fact that I know that once you set your mind to something, there's no turning you away from it? I guess the real answer would be that I think we need to have a little fun. We've been far too serious for the last few years. Time to break loose a little."_

_Sirius nodded in agreement/"Alright, if we're gonna do this, you all three need Marauder names," he said._

"_But we aren't animagi!" Draco protested. Harry had regaled a number of stories about the Marauders, so he knew the basic background of the quartet._

"_That doesn't matter. We can still name you. I hate to admit it, Draco, but you'll always be a Slytherin in my mind," Sirius said. "So you can be Mr. Slithers. Harry, I liked your name in your letters from last year, so you can still be Mr. Prongslet. And Hermione, you may be the easiest of them all. You can be Mrs. Prongslet."_

_Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement, while Draco seemed to pout. Apparently, he was less happy about being associated with Slytherin than anyone thought._

_End flashback_

Harry, meanwhile, was sitting proudly at the Head Table, happy to finally join the ranks of the Marauders just like his father. He had been the mastermind behind the entire day's pranks, but it had required the mind of Remus Lupin to figure out how to execute it.

_Flashback to Monday…_

"_Okay, Harry," Remus began, "what did you have in mind?"_

"_Well, I was thinking we could start with when the twins wake up. This really needs to be bigger and better than their prank, in all respects. So it should last all day. We should start with when they wake up, and have several different layers to the prank."_

"_Alright, so we start with when they wake up. What do you propose?"_

"_What if they woke up upside down? Not hanging from the ceiling, mind you, but with their beds and everything on the ceiling like it was the floor. Could we do that?" Harry posed._

_Remus stroked his chin. "It's possible. It would take a combination of a strong sticking charm as well as a local gravity reversal spell. But it could be done."_

"_Next question, just to make it trickier," Harry added. "Could we make it so that the twins fell onto the floor right after they realized what had happened?"_

_Hermione interrupted at this point. She was serving as the secondary brains of the operation, right next to Remus. "Well, we could spell the twins to wake up at a certain time, and then put a time limit on the gravity reversal spell. That should work, and it would be the easiest way to get that done."_

"_Now this is all fine and dandy, Harry," Sirius interjected. "But they're gonna know it was us. They're gonna try to get back at us when we aren't looking."_

"_I'm counting on it," Harry replied with an evil smile. "And that's why, when we sneak into their dorms on Friday night, which would be the perfect day for this, we will charm their wands to fire out the handle, rather than the tip."_

"_Can that really be done?" Draco asked curiously._

"_Not in the literal sense. However, we could make it look like that's what we'd done. A wand is a delicate thing. We don't want to go permanently damaging their wands. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun at their expense," Remus said with a smile. "We could just put an invisible reflecting charm right in front of the tip of their wand, angled just right to reflect any spell they fire back at them. We need to put it close enough to where it looked as though nothing was coming out of the tip, but was instead firing directly at them."_

"_Great idea, Moony!" Sirius exclaimed. "One of the first rules of the Marauders: Always make your prank seem more complicated than it actually is."_

"_So that should keep them occupied for most of the day," Harry said. "But we still need a grand finale, for lack of a better term. Any ideas? I'm stuck on this one."_

_The group sat in thought for a few moments before Hermione spoke. "Well, they made you two sing this morning," she said, referring to Harry and Sirius. "So why not make them dance? More specifically, a really, really embarrassing dance…How about the Chicken Dance?"_

_Sirius, Remus, and Draco were lost once she said 'Chicken Dance,' but Harry wrapped her in a hug and gave her a deep kiss. "I knew there was a reason I loved you," he said jokingly when he pulled away. Hermione gave a huff of mock anger._

"_Is that the only reason?" she asked._

_Sirius cleared his throat, breaking off the small private conversation. "So what does this dance look like?" he asked._

"_Just wait and see," Hermione replied with a devilish grin. "You'll see on Friday at dinner. We just need to get a potion into the food that night. Any thoughts?"_

"_We could use Dobby," Draco suggested. "He could get in with the house-elves and taint the food."_

"_Yeah, but we need to have some set aside that doesn't have the potion," Harry said. "I think he could do that as well."_

_End flashback_

Harry was shaken out of his reverie by Hermione shaking his shoulder. "Harry, you can't zone out like that, you look to suspicious. It's already bad enough that we didn't do the dance, but now you're just making a spectacle of yourself."

Harry returned to his food to try to appear as normal as possible. He looked over at Dumbledore, who gave him a knowing look, but it was hardly a reproachful one. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, with the new Marauders quietly congratulating themselves on a job well done.

The Potters, Grangers, and Draco excused themselves from the meal early to get ready for the evening's DA meeting. The group had grown to be one team over the past few months, and it had seemed to evolve from an advanced class into more of a private army. At least, that was the impression reached by several of the student members, based on what they had been learning spell-wise and tactics-wise.

* * *

At seven o'clock that evening, the Potters and Grangers, accompanied by Remus, arrived at the Quidditch pitch, laden with all of the school brooms they could find. They found that the nearly three dozen members of the DA were already present, waiting for them.

"Nice to see everyone is so eager to start that they got here before we did," Harry joked, earning no laughs. Actually, Hermione laughed out of pity for her husband.

"I just wanted to bring up a couple of things before we begin tonight," Harry began. "I know that you've all come to see this group as more than a class. Originally, we had thought to name it the DA, or Defense Association," he lied, "but now I think we need a new name. If we're gonna go up against Voldemort, should he attack the school, it's only fitting that we have a more creative name. Any suggestions?"

"What about The Justice League?" one voice shouted from the back. The muggle-borns laughed at this.

"Or Dumbledore's Army?" another yelled. Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.

A third voice offered another option. "How about the Order of the Gold Cross?" Harry found this last one ironic due to his experiences meeting God and His helping Harry in this new life. At the same time, Harry also found the name startlingly fitting.

"I like that last one," he announced. Hermione nodded at this, instantly picking up the meaning behind it. "All in favor?" Most of the hands went up. "Well then, that settles it. This group is now known as the Order of the Gold Cross. Now onto tonight's frivolities. We have a special guest here tonight, most of you know him as our Defense professor last year. Mr. Lupin is here to help us in a very important area of defense: aerial defense. Remus." Harry signaled for the older man to take center stage.

"You may find yourself in a situation where you are not prepared to fight. For example, if Hogwarts is attacked, it could be in the middle of a Quidditch game. If you were playing in that game, what would you do? Land and fight? No, too many could already be dead by the time you landed. What about if a horde of Dementors attacked the school? Or any other flying creature? How would you effectively fend them off? In both of these situations, knowing how to fight on a broom would be invaluable. A battle will not wait until the ideal circumstances present themselves. You must be ready to fight at all times, using the materials at hand. So that's what we're here for tonight. Now, everyone grab one of the brooms here." Remus motioned to the pile of school brooms.

It took a minute or two, but eventually every member of the Order had a broom. Dan, Emma, and Hermione had their Firebolts, while Harry had his trusty old Nimbus 2000, and Draco has his Nimbus 2001 that hid father had still given him during their second year. "Now everyone, mount up," Harry commanded. His flock did as they were told, and soon everyone was hovering about ten feet up in the air.

"What you must bear in mind about combat on a broom," Remus began, riding on a school broom himself, "is that it is nothing like dueling on the ground. In the air, you have three dimensions in which to evade incoming fire. On the ground, you can move side to side and front to back. Remember that in the air, you can also go up and down to avoid spells."

"All right, so here's what we're gonna do," Harry announced. "I counted thirty four here tonight, so that makes it perfect. Everyone, split up into two teams." After a moment, two lines of seventeen students each faced each other. Harry pulled out his wand and aimed it at each group, uttering a series of incantations at each. The shirts of one team turned red, while those of the other turned blue.

"Now, I've performed a sticking spell on each of you. That means, you cannot fall off of your broom for now. Also, I've given each team a color, so as to prevent friendly fire. What we're gonna do is a practice battle in mid-air. Use nothing more than stunners and other weak spells, we don't want any injuries here. However, this is a learning exercise, so when you get hit, you know what to do next time." Harry waved his wand at the giant Quidditch scoreboard, which changed to say Red and Blue under team names.

"There will be a thirty minute limit on this exercise. Each hit registered will score one point for your team. The team with the highest score wins. However, winning is not what matters here. What matters is getting it right. You will be responsible for learning from your mistakes, as you won't fall off of your broom and die if you get hit, at least not tonight. Now, I will give each team five minutes to form a quick strategy."

Harry flew over to the others who would not be participating and waited. After a few minutes, he called an end to the strategy session, and asked both teams to line up. After they did so, Harry conjured a whistle and blew it, signaling the beginning of the battle.

Harry and his cohorts noticed that, for the most part, the members of the Order of the Gold Cross fought in the air exactly like they did on the ground, which they found troubling. Only a few students employed the third dimension of movement to its full potential, evading pursuing enemies by pulling Immelmann maneuvers as well as Kulbit maneuvers (A/N: Look them up on Wikipedia under Air Combat Maneuvering).

On more than one occasion, a student was stunned, and due to the sticking charm holding them to their broom, they simply turned over upside-down and hung there until Harry or one of the others came over and revived them. Ginny Weasley fell victim to this tactic, as well as several others, on a number of occasions. Each time something happened to her, Draco was the first to volunteer to help her. Harry decided that tonight would be the night He would have to say something to him.

At the end of the thirty minutes, Harry blew his whistle, calling an end to the exercise. The members of the Order gathered around him and Remus. "Alright, not bad," Remus said. "But we really need to work on aerial tactics. We saw some of you use your extra maneuverability in the air to your advantage, while most of you pretty much forgot you weren't on the ground. So that will be what we work on first."

"Next time," Harry added, glancing at his watch and seeing it was after eight. They were still adhering to their goal of one hour per session. "For now, whenever you get a chance, speak to Madame Hooch and borrow one of the school brooms to practice. We'll meet again here next Friday to work on this again." With that, Harry dismissed the group, wanting to speak with Draco before he completely forgot.

When the Potters and Grangers returned to Potter Tower, the Grangers went to their room, while Harry sat down in the sitting room. He motioned for Draco and Hermione to stay and join him. Hermione, having seen Harry watching Draco during the course of the evening, had a pretty good idea what this was about.

"Draco," Harry began, trying to find the right words, "I've noticed you've been quite…friendly with Ginny Weasley." Draco flushed bright red, and didn't say anything. "I'll just take your silence as confirmation. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about this. Wow, this is really weird, giving you this conversation. I feel like I'm a father here, even though I'm not. Anyway, Hermione and I," Hermione shot Harry a look when he mentioned her, "erm…mainly I, was concerned about it."

"And why would that be?" Draco challenged. "Why does it matter to you who I like?"

"Draco, let's just say I tried to date Ginny in my seventh year, so I know what she's like. I've always told people that the reason we broke up was because I didn't see a point to our relationship. Well, that's partly true. The main reason was that I found out she was using a love potion on me. See, Ginny always had a manipulative personality, and I just don't want you to get hurt."

"But why does it matter? I'm the one who likes her," Draco paused as he realized the implications of what he had just revealed. "Anyway, um…she's not the one who is going after me, it's the other way around. So I don't think your logic applies."

Hermione walked over and sat next to her husband. "Draco, we just want what's best for you. We're not here to tell you who you can and cannot like. That's beyond our control. But we just want you to be careful. We had problems with both Ron and Ginny Weasley in our past life, and we don't know how they will behave this time. Harry and I will take care of Ron, but we just want you to be careful with Ginny. If you still find that you like her, then by all means, go after her. We won't stand in your way." Harry looked at Hermione with a look of alarm as she said this last sentence.

Draco nodded and stood up before walking to his room. Hermione turned to Harry and saw the look on his face. "Oh, Harry, stop trying to be the overprotective father. Daddy has rubbed off on you too much. Besides, he's not your _daughter. _He can take care of himself."

"I guess you're right," Harry admitted. "I just can't help but try to protect him from what happened to me."

"Harry, he's a big boy. Trust him for once to handle his own life." With that, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and led him to their bedroom, where they got ready for bed. They had to meet Dumbledore early in the morning for a short little sojourn to Greece.

A/N: This chapter popped out faster than other recent ones. I chose to do the flash forward of five months, as it would be a bit boring to keep writing chapters that dealt with random attacks. I found this approach to be much better, at least in my mind. I did have a little trouble trying to come up with a moderately creative prank for both the Weasleys and Marauders to pull, but in the end, I think I came up with something that was fun. At least it was fun to write. As you can probably tell, having Remus help with the Order meeting was more an excuse for Harry to have Remus on campus to help with their prank, but it still worked out for the story. You can also probably guess what the next chapter will involve, based on where I ended this one. Anyway, please review. Please leave feedback. I see some other fics with fewer chapters and more reviews, which confuses me. It's not even that I get a ton of negative reviews, but only a few reviews in general compared to others. I just can't figure it out. Oh well. Also, if any of you are interested in being my beta, please let me know via PM. I can use all the help I can get. I know what I want to do for the rest of fourth year, sixth year, and especially seventh year, but I'm not sure what major event I want to put in fifth year. If you have any suggestions that I can start from, please PM me. I can't believe I just admitted I don't have an idea for fifth year. Oops. Chapter 20 will be up in the next few days. Thanks for reading!

Also, if you've never heard or seen the Chicken Dance, look it up on Youtube. My high school physics teacher a several years back did the dance for us, that's where I got the inspiration.


	20. Into the Fire

Author's Note: The reviews for chapter 19 were generally more positive than I've seen in a long time, so thank you very much for that! There were a few issues that were brought up in them, so I thought I'd address them.

_Scout01:_ You're right, I haven't been making them have very much romantic interaction. There have been some instances of cuddling and kissing besides on the forehead, but those moments have been too few and far between. I'll admit that I've unconsciously been writing Harry and Hermione as a boyfriend-girlfriend couple, rather than a married one, so I'll try to work on that a little more.

_FictionA:_ Regarding occlumency and potions, I'll be honest: I missed that. Or at least, it never occurred to me. I just tried to come up with some way for the twins to get their prank across, and that was the method I came up with. Now, about a Hercules/HP crossover: Not a whole lot. Without going too much into the future of the story, the Hydra is not going to be a recurring 'character,' and as of right now, there will be no appearance by the Greek gods. However, you did touch upon one thing in your review that I won't mention but will play a big part much later. Also, regarding brooms and the Hydra…read on.

_Peruser:_ Remember, Harry is several years older than Draco mentally, even if he is the same age physically.

Now onto this chapter. I really felt like the characters came to life more in this chapter. Maybe it's just me, but I felt like this chapter was more…organic, for lack of a better term. Also, I've been searching for a way to break the fourth wall and sort of poke fun at myself within the story, without compromising the story either. I think I finally found a small way of doing that, so see if you can find it.

Chapter 20

Into the Fire

Hermione Potter awoke naturally on Saturday morning before her alarm. Turning over in the bed groggily, she found an empty space where her husband normally lay. This is what woke her up more than anything. Her eyes shot open to survey the room, looking for any sign of Harry. Normally, she was the first to awake, as Harry liked to get what he called his 'beauty sleep.' Hermione sat up in bed just as the door to the room opened, and Harry walked in, carrying a tray filled with food.

"Hey," he said, laying it down on her lap, "thought you might like some breakfast."

Hermione looked at her husband warily. "Wait, did you cook this yourself?" she asked, nervous at that concept.

Harry nodded, but put up his hands defensively. "Hey, don't judge it until you try it! Not to stroke my own ego, but I'm not that bad of a cook. Living with the Dursley's was actually good for something."

Hermione eyed the eggs carefully, but decided to throw caution to the wind, if only for Harry's sake. She chewed slowly before a smile graced her lips, and she looked up at Harry. "Hey, this is actually good," she commented.

"Don't patronize me, Hermione," Harry huffed. "I can tell when it's no good. It's obvious you don't like it."

"No! Honest! It's really good," she contended. "What makes you think I'm patronizing you?"

"Oh, just the fact that I tried to do something nice for my wonderful wife, by making her breakfast in bed, and what does she do? She panics at the thought of me cooking. I'll have you know that I was up an hour ago, and slaved in the kitchen with the house-elves…wait, wrong term there…worked in the kitchen with the house-elves just for you. And now you can't even tell me the truth about how bad it is."

"Harry, I…" Hermione protested, but sentence was cut off by a kiss from Harry.

"I was just kidding," he whispered as he broke away. "I knew you wouldn't lie to me, but I just had to mess with your head. Remember who my dad and godfather were. So, anyway, is it any good?" Hermione slapped her husband playfully, at his joke, which was starting to wear thin.

Harry grabbed a second fork from the tray and sat down on the bed next to Hermione. The two shared the meal in comfortable silence before showering and getting dressed. They had planned to meet with Dumbledore in his office at eight that morning, and by seven forty-five, they were ready to go. Both Potters had armed themselves with both wands, and were also wearing their pendants just in case they needed to make a quick exit.

The two made their way to the Headmaster's office, and gave the password. They watched as the gargoyle revealed the staircase to the office, and both climbed it. Harry opened the door for Hermione without knocking, and inside they found Dumbledore, oddly dressed in solid green robes.

"What's with the strange getup, Grandpa?" Harry asked, fully aware of the irony. Normally, Dumbledore wore gaudy robes with various sparkles, but a solid color, and a somewhat traditional green at that, was not normal for the Headmaster.

"These are actually dragon-hide robes, Harry. Unfortunately, the tailor I went to wouldn't make them for me in a brighter color or any other design. He believed it would alter the inherent beauty of the skin. Such a pity. Oh well."

"Hey, that reminds me," Harry said. "You said that you would get some armor made from the basilisk hide in the Chamber of Secrets last year. Were you ever able to do that?"

"Actually, Harry, you have impeccable timing. I was just about to present these to you." Dumbledore reached under his desk and pulled out two large boxes, and handed one to each Potter. Harry and Hermione opened them to find a vest and a cloak in each one.

"Now, the vest is the most durable, and is meant to be worn either under or on top of your clothing. It will protect you from almost any curse outside of the killing curse, at least when those curses are directed at your torso. The cloak is less durable, but it is also more flexible. It will offer you added protection from behind, but don't count on it regularly. It will save your life in a pinch, but it is not to be relied on like the vest is. The protective properties were reduced to make it more flexible."

"Did you only make these for us, Albus?" Hermione asked.

"Now that you mention it…" Dumbledore trailer off and pulled another small box from under his desk. "There are another fifty sets in here, I figured that would be enough for your 'DA.' The shop that made these only asked for a tenth of the hide, so there is still about half of the basilisk hide left in the Chamber, should we have need of it in the future."

"Actually, Grandpa, it's not the DA anymore," Harry corrected, "It's now the Order of the Gold Cross."

"Is it now? Sounds remarkably like another Order that I founded. You wouldn't be taking inspiration from others now, would you Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not at all, Grandpa," Harry replied with a smile. "But wait, you said you're wearing dragon-hide, yet you just gave us basilisk hide armor. Why aren't you wearing that as well?"

"Harry, my boy, always the astute one. I wanted to surprise you with your armor, so I didn't mention them at first. Yes, I am wearing a set of basilisk-hide robes. They're not as strong as your vests, but they will perform adequately. Now, I think it would be best if you both changed into your armor. We should leave as soon as possible."

Dumbledore left the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone to change. They shed their robes and put the vest and cloak on over their regular clothes. In the end, both appeared to be wearing all green clothing. Dumbledore returned after a moment.

"Now, we will use the floo to travel to the Greek Ministry of Magic," he explained. "From there, we will travel to Lake Lerna via apparition, any questions?" With that, Dumbledore walked over to his fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. Throwing it in, he announced his destination, "Greek Ministry of Magic!" and disappeared.

Harry and Hermione followed his lead, with Hermione going first. Within moments, the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts was empty.

* * *

Harry emerged from an ornately decorated fireplace in a cavernous temple-like structure made entirely of marble. It was not difficult to tell that he was in Greece, as ancient Greek architecture abounded. He stepped out to find Dumbledore and Hermione waiting for him a few feet away. Great pillars rose on both sides of them, but in general, the atmosphere was no different than in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic in London. Dumbledore had Harry and Hermione perform a language charm on themselves, and he did so to himself as well, so that they would appear to speak the local language.

Dumbledore strode over to an information desk, and the attendant looked up at him. "Name and business?" she asked pleasantly.

"Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," he declared, gaining the attention of several passers-by. "I just need a map of Greece," he finished lamely.

The secretary fished out a roll of parchment and handed it to Dumbledore. "Here you are, sir. Please enjoy your visit to Greece." Dumbledore nodded his head in acknowledgement, then turned to return to the Potters.

"As it is very difficult to make long-distance apparition jumps, such as from Hogwarts to Lake Lerna, I thought it best to travel here first. All we must do is study this map to find our destination. I thought it most likely that the reception counter here would have the most accurate map of the country, rather than searching through the Hogwarts library for an outdated one. You are both aware of the basic principles of apparating?" Harry and Hermione nodded. "Good, then you know that you must only have an idea of the location you want to travel to in order to do so. Now let us see…Ah! Here it is."

Dumbledore pointed at a spot on the map, and Harry and Hermione crowded in around him to get a look. All three of them memorized the general location they wanted to travel to, before Dumbledore rolled the map back up and placed it in his robes.

"Wait," Hermione objected, "we can't just apparate out of the Ministry, don't these places have anti-apparition wards around them?"

"Excellent point, Mrs. Potter, which is why we will find the exit and apparate from outside," Dumbledore explained.

It took a few minutes to find an exit, as Dumbledore had never visited the Ministry in Greece before. Therefore, none of them had any idea how to get around in it. But soon they found a wall that people seemed to simply be walking through, just like at platform 9 ¾. So, deciding to be the brave Gryffindors they were, the three walked at the wall, only to pass right through and into the outside.

The trio looked around to find that they were on a hilltop. Hermione turned around and let out a tiny shriek. Quickly, Harry spun around to see what had startled her. He saw nothing.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

"It's…it's the Parthenon…" she stuttered in amazement.

"So?" Harry asked, always oblivious to these sorts of things.

"Harry, don't you see? The Greek Ministry is really hidden inside the Parthenon. The outside is only an illusion."

"Oh, okay," Harry said, trying to end the conversation before Hermione gave him a full history of the building. Frantically, Harry looked to Dumbledore for help in bailing him out. The old wizard just laughed.

"I think we should be moving along," he said finally, much to Harry's relief. "After all, we want to be back at Hogwarts before our absence is noticed. I believe I failed to mention to Minerva that we were leaving, so I'm afraid that she will not be too happy with me if I'm gone for too long."

Hermione accepted this sadly. She had wanted to explore ancient Greece more, but at the same time, she realized that is not why they were here.

"Now, I know you know how to apparate, so I am not going to go into that. Just remember where we are going. I shall see you in a moment." With that, Dumbledore disappeared with a soft pop, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. Harry grabbed Hermione's arm to apparate her along with him. He did not want them to get separated.

* * *

Harry and Hermione appeared at what did not look anything like a lake at all. It looked more like a series of pools, with a light fog in the distance. Naturally, Harry was confused, but as usual, Hermione had all the answers.

"Lerna is a region of springs that feed into one large lake. These are just the springs, Harry." As she spoke, Dumbledore approached them from several feet away.

"Ah, nice to see you made it. And I must commend you on your accuracy in apparating, Harry. It is not often that two people are able to apparate to a location hitherto unseen by them and appear so close together."

"Thanks, Grandpa, but I can't take all the credit," Harry admitted. "You were the one who taught me how to apparate before."

"Well then, if I do say so myself, you had an excellent teacher," Dumbledore joked. "Now, I believe that the lake is this way," Dumbledore said, pointing towards the fog in the distance. Harry nodded and took off in that direction before the other two could do anything.

"Harry! Wait!" Hermione screamed at him. Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "You can't just go running over there like that. That's not fog, it's poisonous gas. The Hydra releases poisonous breath that will kill you as soon as you breathe it."

Harry walked back to her, causing Hermione to release a sigh of relief. "I think, Harry, it would be best if we all went ahead together," Dumbledore advised. "As unkind as it sounds, you are the least knowledgeable of us three about this situation, so I think it best if you didn't go running into danger as you are so prone to doing. However, with regards to our current situation, I believe that a bubble-headed charm will serve nicely to protect us from the fumes."

The three cast the charm on themselves before beginning the trek towards the gas. After about fifteen minutes of walking inside the insidious fog, they came across what looked to be a dried lake bed, with a cave at its bottom. A small trickle of water ran down the side of the lake bed from the springs, and into the cave.

Carefully, the three climbed down into the lakebed and drew their wands. Hermione had explained during their walk that legend said that a cave lay at the bottom of the lake, and that it was an entrance to the underworld. It was believed that this is where the Hydra dwelt. Now, by all appearances, Hermione was proven correct.

As they grew closer to the cave, they saw that it looked to be a long, enclosed pool of water. The mouth of the cave was about thirty feet wide, while the inside was slightly wider. The length, if it could be estimated, was approximately two to three hundred feet long, and ended in a dead end. On the open end of the cave, the shore before the pool of water was about twenty feet long. To the trio, the cave appeared to be empty.

Slowly, the three entered the cave, lighting the tips of their wands with a lumos. Harry could see that at the other end of the cave there was a small shoreline, and upon that shore, he could see something sparkling. That something could only be Hufflepuff's Cup.

As Harry stepped into the water, the pool seemed to explode in a torrential downpour. With a great roar, the great beast of the underworld appeared. While half of its body was obscured by the water, the portion above towered fifty feet above the trio, and its nine dragon-like heads were each adorned with rows of razor-like teeth. It's turquoise hide glistened like a diamond as it began to approach the intrepid Horcrux hunters.

"Oh, now this isn't good," Harry gulped as he took aim with his wand.

"Harry! Hermione!" Dumbledore yelled. "You attack it like we planned. I'll try to get around it to get to the cup!"

"You honestly think you can get around _that_?" Harry asked, bewildered. "Sectumsempra!" he bellowed, firing a slicing curse at one of the heads.

The head stilled for a moment before sliding off of the neck and landing in the water with a splash. The other heads gave an angry roar, and the beast advanced on Harry and Hermione with renewed speed. Now there was only a few dozen feet separating them.

Hermione fired a flame curse at the severed head, hoping to cauterize the wound and prevent it from growing a new pair of heads. As the curse hit, a sizzle could be heard throughout the cave, and seared flesh could be smelled by all. But as the sound faded, two new heads grew from where there was only one.

"Damn! It didn't work!" Harry exclaimed.

"We have to try again," Hermione yelled back at him.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was trying to figure out a way around the Hydra. He had tried to freeze the water into a pathway on one side of the cave, but as soon as he had done so, one of the heads had smashed the ice. He tried again, but again the ice met the same fate. Next, the Headmaster tried to summon the cup, but it stubbornly refused to move, revealing that it was probably under the influence of an anti-summoning spell. Finally, he attempted to apparate directly to the cup, only to find that he was unable to due to anti-apparition wards. The Hydra continued to advance on the small strip of shoreline that the three currently occupied, causing their options to quickly dwindle.

Harry and Hermione had not had much luck either. They had tried to sever the head and seal the wound with fire three times, to no success.

"It's not working!" Harry yelled to Dumbledore frantically.

"Tom must have magically altered it somehow so that it couldn't be killed in the same way," Dumbledore replied, searching his mind for another alternative. As he was doing so, he heard Harry yell another curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled, loosing the green jet of light on the demonic creature. The curse hit the beast and was seemingly absorbed, with no effect.

"Harry, the killing curse won't do any good, as it rips the soul from a being to kill it. The Hydra has no soul," Dumbledore explained calmly. How he could remain calm as a creature of this magnitude was advancing on them was lost on Harry. Granted, there was the fact that the three could flee through the mouth of the cave, but just the fact of facing down the mythical Hydra was overwhelming.

Suddenly, Harry was struck with inspiration. "Get behind me!" he commanded to the others. Hermione, always trusting Harry, did as he said, but Dumbledore gave Harry a confused look. Unsure about the reasons, he slowly did as Harry asked, until it was only Harry out front. Harry backed up, away from the monster, and Hermione and Dumbledore did the same, keeping the same amount of distance between Harry and themselves.

After several steps backwards, Harry glanced behind himself to see that the other two were now standing outside the cave. He pulled out his wand and conjured a semi-transparent barrier with a blue tint to cover the entrance to the cave. He was now essentially sealed inside, alone with the Hydra.

Outside the cave, Hermione saw Harry put up the barrier and ran to it. As soon as she touched it, she was given a light shock and could go no farther. "Harry!" she yelled through the barrier, but Harry didn't acknowledge her presence. Instead, he turned back around to face the Hydra.

"Mrs. Potter, I have no doubt that Harry hears you right now, but I believe he feels this is something he must do on his own."

"But he could get himself killed! We have to get this thing down!" Hermione objected.

"Yes, it is a very real possibility that Harry could lose his life. However, I do not think it likely, as he knows that you would be too angry with him if he did."

"You think this is a time for jokes?" Hermione exclaimed angrily. "He's alone in there! Help me get this barrier down!"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that isn't likely. I have seen this kind of shield before, and it can only be brought down from the inside, and by the one who cast it. Harry seeks to protect us from danger, but right now, there are only two ways for it to fall. Harry must either lower it himself, or it will fall when he dies."

Meanwhile, inside the cave, Harry heard every word said outside. He knew how foolhardy this might be, but in his mind, it was the only sure-fire way of killing the monster. Harry pointed his wand at the Hydra. "Fiendfyre!" he shouted, and a vortex of flame began to emerge from his wand.

A great flame dragon began to form out of the vortex, seemingly taking on a life of its own. The vortex vanished, as did any visible connection to Harry's wand. Channeling every ounce of strength and control he could into his wand, Harry willed the dragon to attack the Hydra. After a moment's hesitation and with a roar, the dragon complied and charged at the Hydra.

As cursed fire met cursed beast, only one emerged victorious. Twelve horrendous screeches were heard in the cave and for miles around as the Hydra burned (A/N: count the heads if three duplicated). The scream seemed to last for an eternity, but after only a second, it ceased, and Harry uncovered his ears, which he had unconsciously been protecting. Where the Hydra had once stood in the pool inside the cave, only ashes now floated.

Harry willed the dragon back to his wand, but nothing happened. Trying again, with all of his might and concentration, Harry mentally commanded the flame dragon to return to his wand. But again, it did not listen. Instead, it began a rampage around the cave, taking flight and soaring about, giving no care to the commands of the one who summoned it.

As the dragon moved about freely, the temperature in the cave began to rise rapidly. On more than one occasion, Harry had to duck to avoid the rampaging flames, but managed to recover quickly to continue attempting to control the creature. On one of the passes, another ear-splitting scream was heard, but it too vanished after a moment. Finally, after several minutes of trying to dispel the flames, the dragon flew over Harry's head and into the ceiling of the cave above him. The dragon seemed to disappear into the ceiling, but the sound of a great explosion was heard as it did so.

Harry looked up to see several large chunks of rock come falling towards him as the ceiling collapsed. Harry tried to apparate away, but like Dumbledore, found that it was blocked. He quickly turned to look out through the barrier at Hermione's horrified expression, before he saw blackness.

* * *

Harry Potter's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light. For a moment, all he saw was a white brightness. His eyes gradually grew accustomed to the light, and he saw that he was in his usual bed in the Hogwarts hospital wing. Painfully, he turned his head to see Hermione standing beside his bed, with her back to him. He moaned lightly at the pain.

Hermione spun around. "Harry!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her husband. "You're awake!"

"Um, yeah," Harry said, thinking that was obvious. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"Well, after you stupidly sealed yourself in the cave, you lost control of the Fiendfyre and it caused part of the cave to collapse," Hermione explained. "The barrier fell after you were buried in the rubble. Harry, I thought you were dead!"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still alive and kicking," Harry joked.

Hermione slapped him playfully. "Prat," she said. But the slap still hurt more than it should, causing Harry to grimace.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," Hermione gushed worriedly. "I forgot how bad of shape you're still in."

This got Harry's attention. "How bad is it, really?" he asked.

"I think I can answer that, Mr. Potter," the voice of Madame Pomfrey said. Harry craned his neck to see her emerging from her office. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible things to do, Mr. Potter, this must top the list. It took nearly all of my not inconsiderable expertise to patch you up to the shape you're in now. You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive."

"Okay, can you please stop telling me how stupid I was and just tell me what's wrong with me?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

"Well," Poppy huffed, "I don't usually get such insolence from my patients. Well, except for another Potter many years ago. But anyway, you broke both arms and both legs. Those were easily repaired, along with your five broken ribs. There were severe burns on thirty percent of your body, and you also suffered internal bleeding from a number of organs, as well as severe head trauma. That's where most of the work came from, and the main reason behind your coma."

"Co…coma?" Harry stuttered. "How…how long?"

"Harry," Hermione interjected comfortingly, taking his hand in both of her smaller ones, "you've been unconscious for three months. It's May now."

"Three months?" Harry gasped in confirmation. "What's happened? Have there been more attacks? Who ran the Order? What about…"

"Shhh…" Hermione ordered softly, putting her finger to his lips. "We'll talk about it all later. For now, all that matters is that you're awake and will be alright." She looked to the nurse for confirmation on this last point. Poppy nodded before turning back to her office.

"But what about the Horcrux?" Harry asked after a moment, hoping that Hermione would at least answer that question.

"We checked for it after the barrier fell. All we found was a puddle of gold where it was. That last scream we heard was the Horcrux being destroyed. The Fiendfyre melted the Cup."

"Good. Then at least we finished what we went there for," Harry said, trying to find the positive.

"Yes, but at what cost, Harry? You could have died. Would your life have been worth it to destroy a Horcrux?"

Harry didn't even have to think about this one. "Yes," he answered simply.

"That's where you're wrong, Harry. With you dead, who would defeat Voldemort? You're more valuable than you give yourself credit for. You can't just go traipsing into dangerous situations without giving them any thought."

"I guess you're right," Harry admitted sheepishly. He let out a long yawn and tried to stretch, only to find his arms and legs restrained to the bed. Hermione saw his plight and waved her wand, removing the restraints. "Thanks," he said gratefully.

"But Harry, what were you thinking? It's incredibly difficult to control Fiendfyre, not to mention it's a dark spell!"

"Mione, someone once told me that essentially, there is no dark spell or light spell. All that makes a certain kind of magic dark is the intent it is used for. An evil heart brings out an evil spell. A person filled with light can use the same magic for good. It's all a matter of intent." Hermione looked at Harry strangely for a moment before nodding.

"Now you should get some sleep," she ordered warmly.

"But I've been asleep for three months. I think I've gotten enough to last me for a little while," Harry objected.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Madame Pomfrey said that when you wake up, the first few minutes will be very tiring, and you will need to get several hours of sleep. I'm just here to help enforce her suggestions."

"Well, I think you could use some sleep as well. It doesn't look like you've slept a wink in weeks."

"Months, actually," Hermione mumbled to herself, but Harry still heard it.

"Here," he said, scooting over in his bed. "Why don't you lay down here with me."

"Harry! We can't do that! What if Madame Pomfrey finds us?"

"Come on, we're married. What's the worst she'll do? Wake us up? Admit it, you could use the sleep."

Hermione had to admit Harry was right. With a resigned sigh, she laid down on the bed next to Harry and pulled up the sheets. Harry rolled onto his side so that he was snuggling up against Hermione's back.

"Hmmm…this is nice," he said into her hair. Hermione could only give a contented sigh in agreement as she quickly fell asleep. Harry was not far behind.

* * *

Harry awoke several hours later just as the sun was beginning to dip beneath the horizon. His face was buried in a familiar mass of bushy hair, but that was more than alright for Harry. He slowly extricated himself from Hermione's hair to see the figure of Albus Dumbledore sitting on a chair next to the bed.

"Ah, Harry, I see you are awake," Dumbledore said, stating the obvious. "I'll admit, it is nice to see you awake again, after taking such a reckless course of action. Minerva would be here too, but I fear that she has still not forgiven me for leaving on such a dangerous mission without telling her."

"When will everyone stop telling my how dangerous what I did was? We destroyed the Horcrux, that's really all that's important," Harry retorted.

"Alas, it is not. As I'm sure Mrs. Potter has already impressed on you, you are far to important to be gambling your life so foolishly. The use of Fiendfyre was too dangerous, Harry. Surely you must now realize that it can only be controlled by a select few."

"Yeah, I get that now. But I thought I would be able to handle it. I'm more powerful than almost any other wizard ever, after all."

"Harry, power and magical control are not synonymous. One can have great magical potential and have not an ounce of control. Likewise, one can have incredible control over their magic, but be able to do very little in the way of powerful spells. It takes a great deal of training to be able to achieve mastery in both areas."

Harry looked down in shame. Every shred of pride he had at destroying a Horcrux and the Hydra at the same time was being ripped apart by Hermione, Madame Pomfrey, and now Dumbledore, who were insistent that he had taken too large of a risk.

"Okay, fine. I'll admit I was foolish. Can we just move on now?" Harry asked in a resigned tone.

"Very well, Harry. I will stop chiding you on your actions. Instead, there are more important things to discuss, such as the events of the last several months. While you were unconscious, Voldemort continued his attacks. They have now become less frequent, but more deadly. There have only been three attacks since our escapade in Greece, but at least twenty people have been killed in each. However, several more Death Eaters have been captured. The fact that Tom's followers are killing more innocents means that there is more time for the Ministry to respond. As a result, the Aurors have been able to meet the Death Eaters in battle on more than one occasion."

"So, basically, no change at all," Harry summarized. Dumbledore nodded.

"Also, in your absence, Mrs. Potter has been leading your classes capably, and has shared teaching your Order with Professor Black. Now regarding our esteemed Potions professor, I'll admit that he has been a bit…juvenile, continuing his quarrel with a certain pair of Weasleys. It seems you have reawakened a certain…tendency of his towards practical jokes, one that will not easily be quelled."

"Nice to know I'm good for something," Harry commented with a smile.

"Now, Harry, I've spoken with Madame Pomfrey. She believes that you will be well enough to leave the hospital wing in a few days. Unfortunately, as you are no doubt aware, she does not take kindly to visitors for the most part," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Hermione's sleeping form. "I was able to convince her to take a break and leave us alone in here for a short time. But I would suggest that when she returns, you be alone."

Harry nodded sadly, and Dumbledore excused himself. He turned back to Hermione and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Hey, Mione," he whispered. "Wake up." She rolled over and grabbed Harry, her eyes still closed.

"Mmmmm…" she moaned.

"Come on," Harry whispered again. "Madame Pomfrey's coming back. You know what she'll do when she finds us here like this."

Hermione's eyes snapped open. In an instant, she was wide awake. "She's coming?" she asked in a panic. Quickly she jumped out of bed, pulling the sheets with her, trying to smooth her clothes and make herself presentable.

Harry couldn't help by laugh at her predicament. "I didn't say she was here now," he said. "We could have laid here for another few minutes. I certainly wouldn't have complained," he added with a wink. But Hermione would have none of it.

"You woke me up, Mr. Potter, now you are going to pay the price," she admonished. Harry pouted at her tone, which immediately lightened her mood. "I'll see you again later," she promised, before kissing Harry squarely on the lips. After they parted, Harry licked his lips, savoring the sensation. This sight caused Hermione to emit a small giggle as she left the hospital wing, leaving Harry alone.

* * *

Harry was not allowed to leave the hospital wing for nearly another week. Madame Pomfrey was insistent that he stay for what she called 'observation,' but Harry thought it was more to torture him and keep him from getting out. He knew it was purposeful, and that thought was reinforced even more by the fact that he was not allowed any visitors other than Hermione and Dumbledore. Finally, Madame Pomfrey gave her grudging approval that he could leave, but with the promise that he take it easy for several more days. Harry had no intention of keeping that promise.

The trip to Potter Tower took longer than he would have liked, but at the same time, Harry's legs were weak due to not being used for several months. As soon as he opened the portrait, he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.

"Harry! You're here!" Hermione squealed as she squeezed him tighter.

"Um, Hermione," Harry wheezed, "didn't you just see me a couple hours ago?"

"Well…yeah, but now you're here, and you're walking again!" she exclaimed. Harry couldn't tell if it was just him, or if Hermione was suddenly more emotional of late.

Harry was finally released from the hug, and sat down on one of the large couches in the sitting room heavily. Dan walked into the room and sat down next to him.

"So, Harry, Hermione tells us that you went and did something stupid and manly to save a woman from mortal peril. Well done," he said with a smile as he elbowed Harry in the side lightly.

"Thanks Dad," Harry said sincerely. He snuck a glance at Hermione and Emma, who both wore disgusted looks on their faces.

"Hey, Harry," Draco began, walking into the room, "since you're still not up to top form, I assume you're going to be going easy on us for our final in your class?" A look of hope flittered across the blonde's face.

Harry appeared to ponder this for a moment. "Nah, not on your life, Draco," he said with a large smile. "Actually, me being out of commission for so long means I have to go twice as hard on you to make up for lost time."

Suddenly, the portrait hole opened again, revealing the figure of Sirius Black. As soon as he spotted Harry, he rushed over and hugged his godson. "Nice to see you alive and well, cub," he said somewhat tearfully.

"You know, is everyone going to be coming in here one at a time?" Harry asked playfully. "You couldn't just all be here waiting for me when I got here in the first place?"

"Not really," Sirius replied with a smile. "We thought it would be better to arrive one at a time. It takes longer and looks like more is actually happening than really is," he admitted.

"Nice," Harry said slowly. He didn't like so much attention spread out like that. He wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

Thirty minutes later, Harry had also been visited by Remus, Hagrid, and the Dumbledores, each of whom arrived alone and with several minutes between them. Finally, all of the guests left, leaving only the normal occupants of Potter Tower to themselves.

When they were alone again, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey Hermione?" she looked up from her battered copy of Hogwarts: A History to make eye contact with him. "Wait, haven't you read that thing at least a hundred times over two lifetimes?" he asked, completely dropping his original intention for talking to her.

"Well, yeah. But it seems like every time I open it, I find something new. It's like the book is charmed to show new information all the time."

"Hm. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to take a little walk? I need to stretch my legs and get a little exercise anyway," Harry said.

Hermione grabbed a bookmark and placed it in her book before closing it. "Sure, Harry. Let me just grab my jacket and I'll be back in a minute." She rushed to their room before returning a moment later with her light jacket, as well as one for him.

"What would I do without you?" Harry asked her, as she handed his jacket to him.

"That's a really good question, Harry. I really don't know," she responded jokingly.

"Hermione not knowing the answer to a question?" he exclaimed in mock outrage. "Impossible! And here I thought I married you for your big sexy brain."

"Just my brain?" Hermione asked seductively.

Harry looked around the room and finally exhaled, relieved that Dan wasn't in the room. "Well, when you put it that way…" he began, but was cut off as said father-in-law opened the portrait hole and entered the Tower. Harry didn't dare continue with that line of thought, at least verbally, in fear of his life.

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the Tower and into the corridor. They walked outside the castle to the Black Lake.

"So, we haven't really had a chance to talk much in the last few days without Poppy breathing down our necks. What's been going on?" Harry asked, as they walked around the lake.

"Well, Draco finally asked Ginny out to Hogsmeade, and she said yes. He wouldn't tell me what happened or how it went, out of some sense of masculine pride," she stuck her tongue out at this. "But I assume it went well, as they've gone out on a couple of other dates since then."

"How soon after we had our little talk did he ask her out?" Harry asked.

"Two days later," Hermione said with a smile.

"So, he didn't waste any time, did he? With me out of the way, there was no one to stop him from asking her, was there?"

"No, not really. Daddy was even supportive. But Harry, give him and Ginny a chance. This may not be the same Ginny you knew. We've changed so many things, something's bound to be different. Just take the diary for instance. This time, she wasn't possessed. What if when she used the love potion on you, she still had a fragment of Voldemort's soul in her?"

"That would explain a great many things. But anyway, so they're okay together?"

"Yeah, they're okay," Hermione responded.

"And Ginny has gotten over her crush on me?" Harry asked, grasping for straws.

"It looks like it. Maybe when you saved her from the basilisk you only renewed that crush? True, she had had it on you for years, but seeing you save her in the flesh probably made her decide to go to any lengths to get you. Since she didn't face the diary or have you save her in this timeline, that crush could have faded naturally."

"But what about Ron? I assume, since I saw Draco in the Tower a little bit ago, that Ron hasn't killed him yet for dating his sister?"

Hermione chuckled. "No, not yet. But then again, I don't think Ron has caught the two of them in any broom closets yet."

"And you have?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Ummm…well…" Hermione stuttered, not getting out a coherent answer.

"Never mind, I don't want to know," Harry said dismissively. "So anyway, on to what I asked you out here for. I had a lot of time to think while I was laid up in the hospital wing. I realized that I haven't been the greatest husband to you."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Concern was evident on Hermione's face.

"We haven't done things a married couple does." Hermione gave him a look. "That's not what I mean, and you know it. What I mean is that I haven't taken you out on any dates or done anything as just the two of us. I'll admit, I'm new to this whole thing, but that doesn't give me an excuse. I'm sorry."

"Don't you go apologizing to me, Harry Potter. You've been nothing but the perfect husband to me. True, we haven't gone out or anything like that, but consider the circumstances. We're in a war. There are people out there who want nothing more than to kill us. We can't just go gallivanting around seemingly without a care in the world."

"Why not? If we allow Voldemort to scare us into not living our lives like we want, he's already won half of the battle. Yeah, we still have to defeat him, but that doesn't mean we can't live at the same time."

"What are you suggesting, Harry?" Hermione pressed.

"I think we should take a vacation this summer, just the two of us. I was thinking someplace like America, someplace neither of us has ever been. We've been at this for four years now, Hermione. We haven't taken a break, and I think it's starting to get to me."

Hermione thought this over for a minute as they continued to walk. "That's a good idea, Harry. But what about Mum, Dad, and Draco?"

"It won't hurt them to stay at Potter Manor for a couple weeks while we're gone. I'm sure they'll understand. Or at least Draco and your mum will. I'm kinda nervous about telling your Dad though."

"Why is that, Harry? He's been nothing but supportive and kind to you for years."

"In public, maybe. But trust me, we've had some…interesting talks in which I think he's shown his true colors. He's a great ally to have on our side in this war, but I don't want to get on his bad side."

Hermione giggled. "He can be a little overbearing at times, that's true. So…okay, let's do it," she announced.

"Just like that? Wow, normally you make it harder for me to convince you," Harry admonished.

"Shut up," Hermione retorted, as the two began their journey back to the castle. "Anyway, so what did you have in mind for this grand vacation?"

"I was thinking, maybe a trip to New York, take in the sights. We could also just find a small house in the middle of the country and relax for a while too. It's up to you," Harry responded.

They walked, with Harry's arm snaked around Hermione's waist, and her head on his shoulder for some time before she responded.

"I like the country home," she announced finally. "Something about large crowds and cities doesn't do it for me."

"Alright, country vacation it is. Now we just have to find someone that will rent us a house for a couple of weeks. I was thinking two, just to give us a nice break for a while."

Finally, Harry and Hermione arrived back at Hogwarts, and returned to Potter Tower just as the sun was beginning to set on the western horizon. As they entered the sitting room, they found Dan and Dumbledore engaged in a game of wizard's chess, with the former soundly loosing. As they entered, Dumbledore looked up from the board.

"Ah, Harry, Hermione, how nice of you to join us," he said pleasantly.

"Albus…erm, the Headmaster…um, actually, I don't know what to call you," Dan admitted. "Technically, I'm a student, but at the same time, we are now related by marriage."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Albus will do, Dan. At least in private. Like I've told Hermione here, please refer to me by my title in public. Now, you were saying?"

"Anyway, Albus here has been teaching me the finer points of this wizards chess. I'll admit, it's a bit odd, but then again, everything in this world is, isn't it."

"Daddy," Hermione began.

"Uh-oh," Dan interrupted. "You don't ever call me 'daddy' anymore. Something must be up."

"Um, Harry and I were thinking of taking a vacation this summer. In the American countryside," she said slowly.

"Okay," Dan said curiously. "So when do we leave?"

"That's just it, daddy. We were planning on going _alone," _she added sheepishly. Harry gave her a look that said that she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"I see. So you're telling me, Harry, that you want to take my only daughter to another country, alone with you, a teenage boy?" Dan asked with narrow eyes looking directly at Harry. Immediately, Harry regretted giving that look to Hermione.

"See?" Harry whispered to Hermione. "This is what I was talking about."

"Excuse me, young man," Dan scolded. "I asked you a question."

Harry felt his legs turn to jelly, but he found the strength to remain standing. "Yes…yes sir," he stammered.

"And why exactly would I allow you to do that?" Dan pressed.

"Because I want to give her a vacation. I wanted to treat her as I don't think I've been the best husba-" Harry quickly shut his mouth before he gave Dan more ammunition to use against him.

"No, go ahead and finish what you were going to say, Harry," Dan said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"That's okay sir. I just wanted to do something nice for Hermione. Something that just the two of us could do for fun." Dan cocked an eyebrow at this, immediately causing Harry to regret his choice of words. Harry glanced over at Dumbledore, whose eyes shone with mirth. He was enjoying this grilling far too much.

"Well, Harry, I'll have to think about this for a while," Dan said finally, his fingers together in a point at his chin.

Harry held his breath. This was the part where Dan was supposed to list off all of the reasons he was against them going. Or at least, that was what Harry was expecting, based on the previous conversations he had had with the man.

"Okay, you can go," Dan said just over a second after he finished his last sentence.

Harry was flabbergasted. "Wait, just like that?" he asked, astonished.

"Harry, if I don't trust you by now to keep my daughter safe, I never will," Dan explained in a kinder voice. "I've trusted you with my life before, as well as Hermione's. I know that if anything happens to her, you would have been dead long ago." Dan stood up and walked next to Harry, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. Harry cringed under the touch, fully expecting to be beaten or ripped limb from limb any moment.

Dan felt the cringe and smiled. "You know, Harry, it's far too fun to scare you like this. But it's in my job description. When you have a daughter, you'll understand. You have to make the life of any boy she likes a living hell, even when he becomes her husband." Harry relaxed at this, and Dan released him and sat back down. Harry took one of the nearby chairs, and Hermione sat down on his lap.

"Harry," Dumbledore began, once everyone was seated comfortably (Hermione and Harry more than others), "I think I have an idea. My brother Aberforth owns a small house in the American heartland that he uses as a vacation cottage. Something about wanting to go where the sun actually shines more than once a year. Anyway, I am sure that he wouldn't mind if you two used it for a short time."

"That's a great idea, Grandpa," Harry praised. "But I just realized it would look a little weird for two teenagers to be living in a house all by themselves for such a long period of time."

"There is an easy solution to that little problem as well," Dumbledore said. "You can just apply a special glamour charm to both of you to make yourselves appear older than you really are. It shouldn't be a problem for two reasons. One, the Ministry's reach does not extend to America, so they cannot pursue you for underage magic. Second, even if they did have influence there, you are both exempt from that law anyway. Harry, due to his lordship and exemption for services to the wizarding world, and Hermione since she is now Lady Potter."

The group sat, discussing the particulars of the proposed vacation for another several minutes before Dumbledore made one final move in the chess game, check-mating Dan. Apparently, that move had been available for some time, but Dumbledore had been artificially extending the game.

The Headmaster excused himself, and Harry, Hermione, and Dan set about getting ready for bed. As they were doing so, Emma arrived from an extended visit to the Hogwarts library, and it was revealed that Draco was out spending time with Ginny.

Harry, still ginger from his injuries, took longer than usual to get into his nightclothes, but he would admit he made it seem more difficult than it really was so that he could get Hermione to help him change his clothes. At just after ten that night, Harry and Hermione retired to their bed, with Harry falling asleep first. Hermione was not far behind.

* * *

The last three weeks of the term passed in a blurry haze. Harry had returned to teaching the next day, and had found that Hermione had done an excellent job keeping the class on schedule, despite the absence of her husband. But Harry wanted to make an impression after being gone for so long, so he held a Patronus casting competition for his third year and higher classes. The person who could cast the most consecutive Patronuses received the highest grade. The results were not spectacular, as could be expected, because the Patronus was by nature one of the most draining charms to perform. In the end, the highest score was five, and that was done by a seventh year Ravenclaw.

The Potters had taken a trip to Hogsmeade and spoken with Aberforth Dumbledore about renting his cottage for two weeks. He agreed with little convincing, and refused to take any payment. In his mind, he wasn't using it, so someone might as well. It wasn't going to earn him any money anyway just sitting there. It turned out that the house was in New England, instead of the Midwest as Harry had originally hoped. But, at the same time, it was a house owned by a wizard, and it was free, so they didn't complain.

Harry and Hermione had decided to take their vacation as soon as school let out in the second week of June. They planned to take in the sights of New England, as well as take a short trip down to New York, if only for Harry's sake. In order to appear as though they were just regular tourists, the Potters had decided to take a muggle airplane to America, in order to experience something new. Neither Harry nor Hermione had ever been on a plane before.

The last day of school arrived, not too soon for Harry and Hermione. In order meet their travel arrangements, all three Potters, and the Grangers, took the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station. After a ride that seemed to take forever, at least for the two Professors Potter, the train pulled into platform 9 ¾, allowing it's occupants to disembark.

The five used their pendants to portkey back to Potter Manor, where they would stay overnight before seeing Harry and Hermione to Heathrow Airport the next morning. Harry and Hermione, excited about their trip the next day, went to bed especially early, hoping that the morning would come sooner. This amused Dan and Emma, who thought they were acting more like five year olds on Christmas Eve rather than adults in a teenager's body. But they accepted it good naturedly, as they both felt that Harry and Hermione needed some time to relax. And this vacation would do wonders to help them there.

A/N: So there you have it. Actually, the whole vacation bit was something that just sprang up as I was writing this. The next chapter will deal with that, as well as the summer after fourth year in general. Actually, can I even say fourth year anymore? They aren't students. Anyway, I had some fun bringing back a mini overprotective father talk. I just hope that I didn't disappoint too many of you with the Cup scene. Somehow, I seem to write action scenes worse than any others. Please leave feedback for me. Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!


	21. An American Adventure

Chapter 21

An American Adventure

June 14, 1995 came too slowly for Harry and Hermione Potters' taste. They were leaving on their planned vacation to Massachusetts, in the United States that day, and they were hoping to relax for two weeks without any interruptions or mention of the war with Voldemort. Aberforth Dumbledore had graciously allowed them use of his vacation home, and they had quickly jumped at the opportunity to spend some time alone without being charged for lodging.

Harry and Hermione awoke at six in the morning, and quickly showered and dressed. Their belongings were still packed from Hogwarts, as they didn't even bother to unpack them for the one night they were spending at Potter Manor. They went downstairs to find Dan and Emma sitting at the breakfast table, with Dobby serving them a piping hot breakfast. Draco was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's Draco?" Harry asked as he walked into the kitchen. "He's missing out on the party."

"We thought it would be best if we just let him sleep in this morning," Emma explained. "You know how he gets when you wake him up too early. Besides, do you really want him falling asleep as he waves goodbye to you in the airport?"

Harry and Hermione reflected on that image for a moment before breaking out in laughter. "No, not really," Harry said between laughs.

The four ate their meal while discussing what Harry and Hermione planned to do on their vacation. Most of the responses tended to be rather vague, and included spending time together and a change of scenery. After breakfast, the two Potters went back to their room to grab their bags and haul them downstairs. Dumbledore had gifted them with a reusable portkey to Heathrow Airport, so that the Grangers could return to Potter Manor after delivering their two children to the plane. The portkey once again took the form of a length of rope. Apparently, Dumbledore had a thing for rope, but Harry and Hermione couldn't figure out why.

After using the portkey to a secluded area of the terminal at Heathrow, Harry and Hermione produced their tickets, which they had bought through Gringotts before the school year had ended. Security at the terminal was rather lax, so the Grangers were allowed to the waiting area with Harry and Hermione.

They waited for over an hour before Harry and Hermione's flight to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts was announced.

"Flight 437 to Boston! Flight 437 to Boston now boarding," the stewardess announced over the speaker.

Harry and Hermione grabbed their carryon bags and bade the Grangers goodbye. Emma hugged both of the teens, while Dan kissed Hermione and shook Harry's hand.

"Oh, screw it," Dan said and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry parted from Dan with embarrassment written on his face. He quickly joined Hermione, who was giggling behind her hand.

The Grangers waited until the two Potters were safely aboard the plane before they found an isolated portion of the airport to portkey back to Potter Manor.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione had purchased coach tickets, so as not to appear out of place. It looked more believable, they thought, if two teenagers traveled in coach instead of first class. Attention was not their friend on this vacation. They were traveling as teenagers, as it was not uncommon for teenagers to travel alone, but would apply the glamour charms to make themselves appear older once they reached their lodgings.

They found their seats near the back of the plane. Harry allowed Hermione to have the window seat, and he took the middle. From what they had been told at the check-in counter, the flight was not completely booked, and they shouldn't have anybody sitting next to them. Quickly, the plane took off, in an exhilarating rush that Harry immensely enjoyed. Hermione, meanwhile, gripped Harry's arms until her nails dug into his skin. Apparently, she was not one for adrenaline rushes.

Harry wandlessly cast a silencing charm around the two, a trick that he had found useful on many occasions. He wanted himself and Hermione to be able to talk freely, without worrying about word of magic getting out. He also cast a notice-me-not charm around them to prevent the muggles on the plane from paying attention to them.

The latter charm was proven useful almost immediately, as Hermione pulled out her old copy of Hogwarts: A History and began to read. It wouldn't do any good for a muggle to peer over the seat behind them to find a book about a magical school.

Harry, meanwhile, pulled out the diary he had bought and written in four years prior. As he flipped through his memories of his first seven years at Hogwarts, he began to realize how much things had changed. Now he couldn't foresee any way most of the events of his fifth, sixth, and seventh years could play out the same way again.

About an hour into the flight, Hermione nudged Harry. "Hey, Draco's probably awake by now. I think it's time you talk to him."

Harry moaned. "Do I have to? You were the one who said I shouldn't play the overprotective father. Now you're telling me to do just that."

"No I'm not," Hermione objected. If it had been possible for her to put her hands on her hips angrily while sitting down, she would have. "You just need to talk to him. Don't tell him what to do. Listen to what he has to say before you say anything. Remember, you are legally his father. I think you may also be his father figuratively as well, even if you are technically the same age. He looks up to you, Harry. Don't abuse that." With that, she turned back to her book and began to flip the pages once again.

Harry sighed and reached into the backpack he had carried on with him. He pulled out one of the two-way mirrors he had given to the Grangers a few years before. "Draco Potter," he called, and waited for an image to appear. As he waited, Harry glanced at his watch. He had charmed it to adjust to different time zones as they entered them, so it now read one hour earlier than London time. By his watch, it was now nine in the morning.

Suddenly, Draco's face appeared on the mirror. "Hey, Harry. What's up?"

"Hey, Draco. You know, I realized we've never really talked about you and Ginny since I woke up. Yes, I know that was three weeks ago, but still, I've purposefully avoided it. I've never been good at relationship conversations. Just ask Dan. So I never broached the subject with you."

The image of Draco looked down at his feet. "Yeah, I guess so. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Look, Draco, I'm sorry about how I acted a few months ago when we talked about it last. It's just that I had my feelings on the matter, as well as my experiences to back me up. I just never realized that you and I are not the same person. What may be right for one is not always right for another. I'm sorry I was too thick to realize that."

Draco looked back up. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. "That's okay, Harry. I can't say I was too happy with you then, to be perfectly honest. But as I thought about it, you were just looking out for me. I could tell that you cared about my wellbeing, and I just wasn't used to that, I guess. I've never had anyone who really cares for me."

Harry willed himself to not break down. He must not show weakness. He must appear to be strong. But as he opened his mouth to speak, his voice cracked. "So…anyway, how are things going with you two?"

"Really well, actually. We went on a few dates and then I asked her to be my girlfriend. Of course she said yes," Draco said, puffing out his chest.

"No need to be humble about it, Draco," Harry jested, relieved that his moment of weakness was over. "So things are going well?" Draco nodded. "Why don't you invite Ginny over when Hermione and I get back, so that we can really get to know her. I mean, we already _know_ her, but we don't know _this_ version of her. It'll do us all some good."

"Actually, Harry, I kinda already invited her over…without asking," Draco said sheepishly.

Harry was silent for a moment. "Oh, I see," he said, pressing the tips of his fingers together in a steeple. "Well then, I think you should invite her over again, once we get back. Now, I've been meaning to ask something else. Is she over her petty crush on me?"

"And you were telling me to be humble," Draco huffed mockingly. "Now you're asking about your popularity with the ladies. Can't have it both ways, Harry. But to answer your question, she actually mentioned it on our first date. I can't say I was too happy to be talking about her past crushes on our first date, but I couldn't complain. After all, we _were_ on a date. But anyway, she said she realized how childish it was to fantasize about a person she didn't even know, just because they were a hero figure. So yes, she's over it."

"Good. Maybe I was wrong about her, then. Maybe she'll be just right for you," Harry said, earning a small smile from Draco. "So when's the wedding?" Harry asked in a serious tone.

Draco's eyes went wide before he realized Harry was joking. "Don't even go there, Harry. I'm nowhere near ready for that. I'm only fifteen, it's way too early for me to even think about marriage."

"Draco, I can't believe you even responded to that joke. That means you've already given it thought, you know," Harry said mischievously. Draco's face registered fear as he realized he had been set up in a trap.

"I'm not even going to dignify you with a response," Draco said wisely. He knew better than to follow Harry down the dark pathway to embarrassment again.

"Fine, ruin my fun," Harry pouted.

"Hey, it's your fault that you tried to bait me. Well, Dobby told me he saved me some breakfast, so I'd better go eat. Talk to you later, Harry."

"You too, Draco," Harry said, as he closed the mirror. He turned to Hermione, who looked up from her book.

"So, how did it go?" she asked.

"You were sitting right here!" Harry exclaimed. "You didn't hear everything we said?"

"Well, yeah I did," Hermione admitted. "But I was trying to gauge your feelings. Sorry if I offended you," she huffed.

Harry figuratively smacked himself alongside the head. He had stepped in it this time. "Hermione," he began, taking her hand, "you didn't offend me. I wasn't even mad at all. I was just pointing out the obvious, as I tend to do. It makes me feel smarter to act like I know something. Anyway, I'm sorry. It came out completely wrong, and I didn't mean it like that."

"I guess I overreacted, Harry. I'm not even sure where that came from, to be perfectly honest."

"Hey, it's alright, love. But to answer your question, I think I can live with them being together. The more I thin about it, the more I think you and Draco are right, that this Ginny isn't the same Ginny we once knew. It'll be hard for me to get used to that."

The rest of the flight passed smoothly. Hermione fell asleep on Harry's shoulder, and Harry followed soon thereafter, with his head resting on top of Hermione's. To all outward appearances, the couple appeared to be in a cute, if uncomfortable position for their necks. But neither of them noticed. Both were shaken awake by the sudden downward lurching of the plane, as it descended for landing in Boston.

Once again, Hermione grabbed Harry and held on for dear life, as she thought that the pilots would lose control as they braked so rapidly. Harry though was confused. He would have thought Hermione would have read about planes at some time or another. But apparently, that wasn't the case.

In any event, Hermione let go of Harry's arm as soon as the plane came to a complete stop, and both grabbed their carry-on bags and disembarked the plane. Fifteen minutes later found the two with all of their luggage, trying to find a secluded corner of the airport. They had studied a map of the area provided by Aberforth before they left, and had found where they were going to be staying. As soon as they were alone, the two apparated to the vacation home.

* * *

Harry and Hermione appeared in front of a small, yet cozy looking house, that looked to be built at the end of the nineteenth century. The house was white, with a large porch on the front of the house. From the looks of it, there was also a second story, as there were three dormer windows poking out from the roof. Looking around, Harry found that they were in a wooded area, with no roads to speak of nearby. Only a cobblestone path led to the porch. There appeared to be only trees on all sides, with a clearing visible in the distance behind them, and no houses in sight.

Sure that there were no witnesses nearby, Harry levitated their bags so that they could walk to the house unhindered. Harry used an unlocking charm on the door, as he had been told that was the only way to unlock it, and picked up and carried Hermione over the threshold before closing the door with his foot.

As he put her down, he gave her a tender kiss. "I never got the carry you into a house," he explained. "Even if it isn't our house, you still deserve it."

"When did you turn into such a romantic, Harry?" Hermione asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hmm…about the time I met you," he replied with a smile as he looked into Hermione's eyes.

"Good answer, Harry. Good answer."

The two looked around. They were in a small front room with two couches and a table between them. The walls were a cream color, with a white chair rail around the walls. From what they could see, this color scheme and paneling continued throughout the house. On one wall of the living room, there was a fireplace with a white mantle, and brick surround.

Next to the front door was a staircase that led upstairs. They would explore that later. For now, they followed the short hall out of the front room, which had a door to a bathroom in it, and found themselves in a small, but serviceable kitchen. In the middle of the kitchen, there was an island, with two stools on one side of it. There was also a small dining area just off the kitchen, with a table large enough for four.

Both Harry and Hermione thought that the accommodations were perfect for just the two of them, and walked back to the staircase. Levitating their bags again, the two made their way upstairs, to find a short hallway with three doors in it. One, they found, was a guest room, while the other was a second bathroom. The last door they opened led into the master bedroom, which was decorated in a similar style to the rest of the house, and was roughly twice as large as the guest room.

In the middle of the room, there was a king size bed, with a dresser on one side of it. In one corner of the room, there was some sort of vanity. To what extent it was actually a 'vanity' was uncertain, as the owner of the house was male, but it would serve such a purpose for Hermione.

They dropped their bags and set about unpacking, organizing their belongings in the dresser. They had mainly brought just clothing, as well as both pairs of wands for safety, along with a few other items such as the two-way mirror. Before they had left, Harry had visited Gringotts to buy plane tickets for their trip, but at the same time, he had taken out a Gringotts debit card for use on their trip, that tied in directly with his vault there. The goblins had told him that it would operate without use of a PIN number, as it was magically tied to him and Hermione, an only they could use it. Also, it would compensate for all currency variations, and use appropriate currency in whatever country they were.

After they had completely unpacked, Harry turned to Hermione. "So, any thoughts about what you wanted to do today?" he asked.

"Well, maybe just walk around and explore the area," Hermione posed. Harry agreed to this and the two pulled out their wands and applied a glamour charm to themselves. They had agreed to an age of about thirty, so Harry aged his face somewhat, and even gave himself a handful of gray hairs, but not too many to grab someone's attention. Hermione darkened her hair and lengthened her features, while making herself appear a little taller. When they were done, the two went downstairs and outside. Harry made sure to lock the door using the locking charm, and he and his wife took off down the path from the house.

A few minutes and several turns in the path later, the two found themselves on the side of a rural road. Based on how long they had been walking, they judged the house to be about a half mile from the road, making it perfectly secluded.

Another fifteen minutes of walking brought Harry and Hermione to the town of Ashfield, Massachusetts. A small town, Ashfield was made up of a grocery store, a police station and courthouse, a miniature library, and a café, among other buildings. For the most part, there was just the one street that ran through the town, but it made for a quaint sight for the young couple.

Harry and Hermione visited Ashfield Grocery first, to pick up some food for their stay. Hermione let Harry do most of the shopping, because, ever since he had made her breakfast in bed, she had insisted that he do a fair share of the cooking. Harry was all to happy to oblige. They spent about twenty minutes in the store, collecting various foodstuffs, before going to the cashier. Their bill topped one hundred Dollars, but Harry paid with his debit card, not paying attention to the amount. He also took out a good amount of cash as well, in case they visited somewhere that didn't accept debit.

The two then found a dark, hidden area between buildings and shrunk their purchases down and put them in the purse that Hermione had brought with her. Then, for Hermione's sake, they visited the library. While not as impressive as the one at Hogwarts by a long shot, Hermione still lost herself in the myriad of books, leaving Harry to wander on his own through the various sections.

When Harry found Hermione again almost an hour later, she was in the small metaphysical section of the library. She looked up as he approached with a smile on her face.

"They have books on magic here!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "It's funny that they think they're not real. But I was looking through them, and they're all accurate. I wonder what it takes to check books out here?" Harry put up one finger to tell her to wait, and disappeared.

He walked up to the librarian's desk, where an elderly, bespectacled man sat.

"Excuse me," Harry said politely, and the librarian looked up. "I was wondering how I would check out a book from here."

The man examined Harry over his glasses. "So I take it you don't have a library card?" Harry shook his head. "Then you just need to fill out this form here. This is a small town, so we don't require everyone to have a card. But having a card saves time having to fill out the form every time you wanted to check out a book."

"We're from out of town," Harry explained. "We're just visiting for a couple weeks." He looked down at the form, which only asked for basic information such as name, address, and contact information. "Let me just get my wife so we can fill this out. I'm sure she has an armful of books already. Somewhat of a bookworm, you see," Harry added with a smile.

"I heard that," he heard from behind him, and Harry spun around to see Hermione standing there, arms full of books. Harry reached behind his head to scratch in a boyish manner, then looked at his feet. Hermione burst into a giggle at the sight.

After recovering from his faux pas, Harry led Hermione to one of the empty tables in the library so that they could fill out the form. First up was name. Both quickly decided they shouldn't use their real names while on vacation.

"How about…Thisis Notmyname?" Harry suggested playfully. Hermione slapped him on the side of the head.

"You'd never make it on your own for two seconds without me, would you?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head fervently with a broad smile. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, will you?" Hermione admonished.

"Who said I had my mind in the gutter?" Harry asked innocently. "In fact, since that was the first thought your mind went to, I'd wager your mind is in the gutter."

"You know, Harry, you already pulled a trick like that with Draco today. Don't think I'll fall for it too."

Harry hung his head in shame. "Well, it was worth a shot. But what about Harvey and Harriet Potter? Not too different for us to forget, but not too similar to tell who we are."

Hermione thought on it for a moment. "That's not a bad idea," she said finally, giving her acquiescence to Harry's idea. Harry put down the names on the form, as well as the address for the house they were staying in for their contact information. Finally, he listed the books that Hermione was interested in checking out on the bottom of the page. Pretty much all of them were magic related, but Harry was surprised to see Hermione check out some fiction as well.

Satisfied with their choices, Harry brought the form and books up to the librarian, who compared the list on the form to the physical books, to make sure they were all accounted for. He gave them a large plastic bag to carry all of the books in, and bade the Potters good day. Once outside, Harry shrank the books and put them with the groceries in Hermione's purse. Harry glanced at his watch to find that it was nearly four in the afternoon already, so the two began the return journey to the house.

The road was lined with hundreds of paper birch trees, a sight that caused Hermione to silently wish they had visited in the fall instead, so they could see them changing colors. All the same though, it was a beautiful sight. Harry pulled Hermione close when he saw her admiring the view, and the two walked as one for the rest of the journey.

As soon as they entered the house, Hermione sat down on one of the couches and immediately set to work on the books she had just checked out. Harry, meanwhile, went into the kitchen to begin working on dinner. He hadn't told Hermione what he had in mind, but he knew she would love it. Two hours later, it was nearly finished, so he fetched Hermione.

Harry walked into the living room to find his wife in the same position he had left her in, with a book on her lap and a look of intense concentration upon her face. She looked up as she saw him enter the room.

"Harry, did you know there is a U.S. Department of Magic? It says so right here in this book. Well, technically this book isn't legitimate by the library's standards, but there is still a lot of information in it that is real. They also have an Auror force here too, but they call them Preventers."

"That's great Hermione, it's really interesting," Harry said convincingly. One of the things Harry had learned about dealing with Hermione over the years was how to convince her that he found everything just as interesting as she did, even when he didn't. "Come on, dinner's ready," he said.

Hermione produced a bookmark, since she apparently had a supply of them wherever she went, and put it in the book. She then got up and followed Harry into the dining area just off the kitchen. Harry had found a full selection of cookery in the house, and had used an assortment in his cooking for the evening.

Harry pulled out one of the chairs for Hermione and allowed her to sit down before he pushed it in for her. He then pulled the lid off of the large pan in the middle of the table, revealing a steaming hot pan of lasagna.

"You cooked that?" Hermione asked in shock, inhaling the wonderful aromas.

"From scratch," Harry said proudly. "But that's not all," he continued, producing a loaf of homemade French bread from the oven, which had just finished cooking. That, combined with the fresh salad Harry had also made by hand, made for an incredible meal, even for Harry, who had slaved over a hot stove for hours just to see the look of contentment on Hermione's face. Now he had two reasons to be happy with his work.

The meal passed comfortably, and Harry cleaned up the plates after they were done. He put them in the sink in the kitchen to wash in short order. Since he was on vacation in a muggle area, he thought it would be not only best, but fun, to live as a muggle as much as possible. That's not to say that using magic was forbidden, but they would try various things without it for a change, after going so many years relying on magic.

After he was done cleaning off the table and washing the dishes, Harry retired to the living room, where he found Hermione again sitting on the couch with her books. As it was approaching eight in the evening, Harry lit a small fire in the fireplace and laid down on the couch, with his head on Hermione's lap. Hermione stroked his hair while she read, luring Harry into a comfortable sleep.

Harry awoke two hours later to Hermione's gentle shaking. It had grown dark outside, and the fire was beginning to die. With a stretch and a yawn, Harry sat up.

"I think we should get to bed," Hermione suggested, giving her husband's disheveled appearance a small smile.

"Um, yeah," Harry said, not yet able to form a coherent thought. Hermione, ever the helpful one, guided Harry upstairs to their bedroom. She helped him change into his nightclothes, and then changed herself, before the two climbed into bed. With one final kiss, they fell asleep in each other's embrace.

* * *

The next morning, Harry and Hermione walked to Ashfield for breakfast. They could have apparated, but they enjoyed the walk far too much for that. They ate at the café, known as Cathy's Corner Café, and found the food to be excellent. Harry had ordered a full spread for his meal, including eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns, privately citing to Hermione that he was a growing boy. This was heard by the waitress, who laughed at the joke, due to Harry's appearance as being much older. Hermione, meanwhile, simply ordered a bowl of oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar. Both enjoyed their meal.

Afterwards, they spent the day exploring the immediate area outside of Ashfield, including some forest paths and other areas of natural beauty. This was how the first several days of their vacation were spent; relaxing, and not really accomplishing anything other than taking in the pristine beauty of the American east coast. They also spent time alone in the house as well, partaking in various activities.

Five days after their arrival, Harry suggested that they travel down to New York City for the day. Harry had been itching to see one of the world's largest cities, and had even found a map of the city to study for apparition. The two dressed for the day and looked at the map. They soon found a quiet, unassuming spot to apparate to, known as Times Square. Satisfied that they wouldn't be seen by any muggles as they suddenly appeared, Harry took Hermione's arm and apparated the two directly out of the house.

The Potters appeared in the midst of a throng of people with a soft pop. Instantly, Harry began to panic at the thought that they might have been discovered. But as he looked around, he realized that none of the people rushing about around them paid any attention to them. If they had pulled out their wands and began cursing people at random, he doubted anyone would notice either.

Before leaving, Harry had made a list of the sights he had wanted to visit in New York. Chief among those, was surprisingly, FAO Schwartz toy store (A/N: I do not own FAO Schwartz or any of the other stores herein, just the idea that Harry and Hermione are visiting them). There were a few other places Harry wanted to visit, but this was on the top of his list.

After studying the map of the city, Harry and Hermione realized that New York City was a very intelligently laid out city, with streets and avenues making logical sense. All they needed to do was find out from a passerby that the toy store was located on Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. They made their way from their current location at Seventh Avenue and 47th Street to the toy store, with the journey lasting only about fifteen minutes.

As soon as they walked in the door, Harry regressed into a child, needing to touch and experience all of the novelty toys available. Hermione's eyes watered as she watched her husband, who by all accounts should be twenty five, run to and fro in a toy store. She was immediately reminded of the fact that he was never given a childhood to speak of, only abuse at the hands of the monstrous Dursleys. But now that those days were behind him, she was determined to make him feel loved and wanted, a feeling he never had growing up.

But Hermione didn't stand there watching Harry, she was actually convinced to participate in the frivolities as well. Harry waited in line and convinced Hermione to play the giant piano on the second floor with him. Even though Hermione knew how to play the piano, she was admittedly a bit lost on the giant keyboard, as she and Harry attempted to play 'Blue Skies' for the waiting crowd. In the end, it didn't turn out too bad, and they received a light round of applause as they put their shoes back on.

All told, they spent just over an hour in FAO Schwartz, before Harry decided he had had enough. In the end, he was actually the one who had to drag Hermione out of the store, as she was just starting to admire some of the more intricate and expensive items.

The two walked further down Fifth Avenue until they reached Tiffany & Co. jewelry store. Harry had heard stories about the lavishness of this store, and he just had to see it for himself. The two walked in only to be greeted by two security guards, one on either side of the door. Harry was immediately struck by how seriously security was taken here.

Harry left Hermione to look around for a few minutes, gaping at some of the prices. Even though Harry was ridiculously wealthy, that didn't mean he spent his money frivolously. He returned to Hermione after several moments to find her admiring a set of diamond and ruby earrings, set in gold. Coming up behind her, Harry could hear Hermione sigh as she walked to the next case. Harry walked up beside her.

"See anything you like?" he asked.

"No, not really," she replied, turning to him.

"Well, I hear there are a couple more floors above this one. Why don't you go take a look and see if there's anything you can't live without."

Hermione nodded and made for the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Harry turned to the salesman behind the counter Hermione had been standing at.

"How much for these earrings?" Harry asked, pointing to the ones Hermione had been admiring.

The salesman looked at the tag. "9995 dollars," he said. Harry nodded at the amount.

"I'll take them," he announced.

"Certainly, sir," the salesman said politely. Harry knew then that if he had come into the store as a teenager, he wouldn't have been given the time of day. He just had to be thankful that an unintended benefit had been found for aging themselves for the trip.

The salesman handed Harry the small box after Harry had paid with his debit card. Harry had specifically asked not to have a bag, as he didn't want Hermione to find out he had bought them yet. They would make a perfect anniversary gift in less than two months.

Just then, the elevator doors opened to reveal Hermione. Harry quickly pocketed the box and walked over to her.

"Anything up there catch your eye?" he asked innocently. Hermione shook her head.

"It's all so expensive," was her excuse.

"So? You're worth it," Harry said sweetly. "You can have your pick of anything in this store. Just tell me what it is, and it's yours."

Hermione smiled at Harry. "That's really sweet, Harry, but I'm fine, really. We don't need to go spending our money on things like this. You don't need to buy my love. You already have it."

Harry smiled as he grabbed Hermione's hand and the two walked out of the jewelry store. Harry was careful not to let their swinging, intertwined hands brush up against his leg, where the earrings were in his pocket. As they walked, Harry noticed a large clock that said that it was nearly one in the afternoon. Just seeing the time reminded his stomach that it had not yet eaten lunch.

The two searched for a little while for a suitable place to have lunch, before settling on simple cheese steaks from a roadside cart on Wall Street. Harry and Hermione were amazed by the food, and were even more amazed that something so delicious could come from such a small establishment.

Their next, and final planned stop was Rockefeller Center, and more specifically, the Top of the Rock. The view from there was supposed to be legendary, so naturally, the tourist in Harry needed to see it. Hermione wasn't difficult to convince. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights that made her nervous about flying, apparently. It was the uncertainty of control. For that reason, Hermione was perfectly comfortable on top of a seventy story building.

On the way up, Harry and Hermione paused to have their picture taken in front of a faux background of Depression-era New York. The picture would be available for purchase in the lobby at the base of the building after they were done.

They took the elevator to the top floor and stepped out onto an observation deck. Harry, who loved the sensation of being high up, ran to the edge and looked down. The people on the street below appeared as ants to him, and he found the sight breathtaking.

The Potters purchased the picture of themselves on the way down from the top of the building, chuckling at the poses they had made in front of the fake background. Realizing it was getting late, they apparated back to the house in Massachusetts so that Harry could make dinner again. Since there was enough time to spare, the two made a quick trip down to the grocery store for a few supplies, but Harry once again wouldn't tell Hermione what he was making.

In the end, Harry made chicken parmesan with pasta, along with another salad. Hermione was quickly beginning to appreciate the value of having Harry as a husband.

After dinner, the two sat in the living room, talking about their trip to New York that day. It was Hermione that came up with an idea while they were talking.

"Hey, why don't we visit Washington, DC?" she suggested. "I know we hadn't planned to, but I'll admit, I had a lot of fun today, and maybe we could do it again in another city?"

Harry looked at her with a grin. "But I thought you didn't like big cities," he said slyly.

"Well, yeah, but…I had fun today, and…well, but Washington would be such a great historical site to visit!" she said finally, coming up with a suitable excuse for herself.

"Hmmm…" Harry said, as he appeared to think it over. "Okay. How about tomorrow? Then we can spend the rest of our time here just relaxing here at the house."

Hermione smiled broadly and hugged Harry. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

Harry closed his eyes and smiled contently. "I know," he whispered back, earning him a light slap.

* * *

Harry awoke early the next morning to prepare breakfast for Hermione. While he was reminded of his time with the Dursleys, this was far from indentured servitude, or outright slavery, as he had been subjected to there. Now, he actually wanted to cook for someone, as he wanted nothing more than to see Hermione happy.

Just after breakfast, the Harry noticed the portable mirror in his pocket begin to vibrate. He pulled it out and opened it, revealing the faces of Dan and Emma.

"Hey, kids, how's the vacation going?" Emma asked.

Hermione stepped up behind Harry so that she was visible to her parents. "Really great," she answered for him. "We went to New York City yesterday, and I had a blast, even thought I thought I wouldn't."

"Wow, Hermione actually admitted she was wrong," Harry whispered into the mirror in an astonished tone. Dan laughed audibly at this.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Obviously, she had not heard Harry.

Dan quickly covered for Harry. "Nothing, sweetheart. Just a little inside joke between men."

"Honestly, I'll never understand you two," Hermione huffed, her hands on her hips.

"And that's exactly what we count on," Harry replied, earning another laugh from Dan.

Just then, Draco walked into the picture, standing behind the couch Dan and Emma were sitting on. His arm was outstretched out of the picture. "Hey, Harry. Hermione. I just wanted to introduce someone to you." He pulled with his outstretched arm, and the image of Ginny Weasley moved into view. "Harry, Hermione, this is Ginny. Ginny, you know these two."

"Hi there, Professors," Ginny said shyly.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he felt Hermione behind him, pinching him between his neck and shoulder tightly. Harry instantly got the hint to 'play nice.'

"Don't call us 'Professors,' Ginny. It's the summer, and we're only a year older than you. Don't make me feel like I'm going gray already."

"But you are, at least in your disguise," Hermione joked.

"Anyway," Harry said, giving a glare to Hermione, who smiled at him innocently, "if you're going to date my _son_ here, you might as well get on a first name basis with us. Don't you agree, Hermione?"

"Oh, absolutely," she agreed.

"Harry!" Draco exclaimed. "Don't call me your son. We're the same age for Merlin's sake! At least call me your brother!"

"Ah, but don't you remember the terms of your entering the family? In all legal aspects, I am your father. So I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. Now, Ginny, what are your intentions towards my son?"

Dan let out an uproarious laugh at this, and Harry finally understood some of Dan's attitude towards torturing suitors. It was just plain fun.

"Now, Harry," Emma scolded lightly, "I think that is more appropriate if you have a daughter, not a son. It just doesn't work the same."

"Nice effort though, son," Dan praised. Harry beamed with pride. "So, anyway, what are you two planning for today?" Dan asked.

"Oh, we were just thinking of taking a trip down to see Washington, DC," Hermione answered. "I've always wanted to see the Smithsonian. I think I could spend all day down there."

"I bet you could too," Harry muttered under his breath. Hermione pretended she didn't hear him.

"But that's what we were going to do today," she continued. "I swear, without this magical transportation, we wouldn't be able to do nearly as much as we have already."

"Well, I think we'll let you two get going, then," Emma said, bringing the conversation to a close. "It was nice talking to you two. Have fun today."

"Bye!" Harry and Hermione said at the same time, as the connection closed. Harry closed the mirror and put it back in his pocket.

"Well, Ginny seemed nervous," he said. "I think she only said…" he counted on his fingers, "three words to us during the entire conversation."

"Oh, give her a break, Harry," Hermione said. "She's probably nervous to meet you. No matter if she still has a crush on you or not, you're still Harry Potter. Not to mention we're her teachers. That alone has got to make anyone nervous."

"I guess you're right," Harry admitted.

After getting ready, the two apparated to Washington, DC. Ashfield Grocery carried a wide selection of maps of the east coast of the United States, and the two simply picked up one of the capital city to study.

The Potters apparated to an alleyway near the National Mall, and made their way to the large park. The grassy area was bordered on all sides by national monuments and historical locations. Harry and Hermione simply stood in the middle of the Mall for a few moments, taking in the atmosphere of the area. For some strange reason, a sense of power and majesty permeated the entire landscape, lending an air of importance to their surroundings.

Hermione dragged Harry into the Natural History Museum first, and Harry begrudgingly paid for their tickets that would grant them access to all of the museums in the Smithsonian, including the Museum of American History and the Air and Space Museum.

As they walked into the first museum, Harry and Hermione were eyed suspiciously by a man in a black suit. When they passed, his gaze turned to the next visitor.

Harry had to admit that, as they walked around the Natural History Museum, he was actually quite interested in some of the displays. He had been expecting a showcase of various scientific data, but instead he found himself enthralled by the humongous gems and crystals, as well as the various life-sized animals on display.

At one point, Harry was so enraptured by a display, he stepped backwards and tripped over another person. Both Harry and the other man fell to the ground in a heap.

"Ooophf…" Harry moaned as the other man fell on top of him. They both quickly picked themselves up and brushed the nonexistent dust off of themselves.

"Sorry about that," Harry offered to the other man, offering him his hand. Harry took his first real look at the man he had just fallen on. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and was about six feet tall and well built.

"Oh, not at all. Not at all," he replied kindly, taking Harry's hand. "Say, you don't sound like you're from around here," he perceived, judging by their accent.

By now, Hermione was at Harry's side. "Actually, we're here on holiday for a few weeks. I'm Harvey, and this is my wife Harriet. We're actually a bit lost right now in this place. It's really impressive," Harry added.

"I'm Jonathan, and this is my wife Rhonda," the man said, gesturing to the woman at his side. "And this," he said, patting the head of a brunette girl between them, "is Elizabeth."

Hermione leaned down slightly, and offered her hand. "Nice to meet you," she said to the young girl. Elizabeth appeared to be about ten years old or so, judging by her height, but she took Hermione's hand all the same, not saying a word.

Jonathan chuckled. "She can be a bit shy with other people. But we always told her not to talk to strangers. Anyway, you said you were a bit lost. We actually live here. Well, not in the museum, but in the city. We could show you around if you'd like. It's no fun going on vacation and having to wander around aimlessly. Trust me, we know." Jonathan received an elbow in his ribs for that last comment, leading Harry and Hermione to believe there was some back story involved.

Harry looked to Hermione for guidance, but she just shrugged her shoulders. "Sure," Harry responded. "We'd love to take you up on your offer."

"Great!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I always love this part. See, we like to get to know people from around the world. Makes us feel more cultured, even though we know full well we aren't. Just call me Jon for short." The group started walking in another direction, following Jon's lead. "So, you're British, eh? Well, about the only experience I have with the British is the movie 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.' Have you seen it?"

Harry and Hermione shook their heads. At this, Rhonda donned a worried look. "Oh dear, you have no idea what can of worms you just opened," she warned.

* * *

"'And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped!'"

Harry laughed heartily at the quote, but Hermione just rolled her eyes. They had been walking with the Maxwells, as they were now known, for over an hour, learning about their lives, and being regaled with recitations from what was apparently Jon's favorite movie.

They had shared a number of stories with the Potters, and the two Britons had done the same, albeit watered down, magic-free stories. From what they had learned, the Maxwells were foster parents, and were taking care of Elizabeth, who was orphaned at an early age. Harry immediately felt a kinship with the girl, due to their similar backgrounds.

At the moment, Harry and Hermione were walking in front of the other family. While they were not quite leading the way, that was how the random walking pattern of the group had sorted itself out temporarily.

"So, you two," Rhonda began, trying to steer her husband away from quoting the movie, "how would you like to join us for dinner tonight?"

"We'd love to," Hermione answered for Harry. She had become quite taken with their guides, at least as much as one could be in an hour.

Suddenly, Harry and Hermione heard a series of small, but familiar pops behind them. They spun around, quickly drawing their wands without giving a care to who saw. They were immediately faced with four Death Eaters in full regalia.

Harry didn't even let the first speak. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, firing the killing curse at one of the Death Eaters. He fell to the ground, dead, before he could begin to utter a spell.

Hermione, meanwhile, was more original in her dealings with another of Voldemort's followers. She quickly levitated him up, as fast as she could, into the ceiling, where his head impacted with a hideous crunch. She then let him fall to the ground, just as dead as his partner.

As Harry and Hermione turned their attention to the other two Death Eaters, they found that the other two had used the momentary delay to fortify their position. Each one was holding a hostage as a human shield. Specifically, one was holding Jonathan, while the other was holding Rhonda. The Death Eaters' wands were pressed against their throats. Harry and Hermione each trained their wands at one of the Death Eaters.

"Potter, I hate to say it, but your new look doesn't suit you," snarled a familiar voice. Quickly, one of the Death Eaters snapped his wand towards Harry and Hermione. "Finite," he said, and Harry and Hermione reverted to their original appearance. "That's better," the Death Eater said, as he put his wand back against Jonathan's throat.

"Malfoy," Harry growled, realizing that the Death Eater in front of Hermione was none other than the patriarch of the Malfoy family.

"The very same. But I must say, Potter, that I'm quite disappointed that you took in that pathetic son of mine. He'll be nothing but a hindrance to you."

"That's where you're wrong," Harry retorted. "He's already become a greater man than you'll ever be."

"Such big words coming from someone in your position," Lucius Malfoy said smugly. "Look at your situation, Potter. The instant you try to attack us, we kill the hostages. It's as simple as that. So what are you, the hero of the wizarding world going to do? Drop your wands now, or watch these muggles die."

_What do I do?_ Harry thought. _As soon as I attack, the Maxwells die. But if I disarm myself, I would die. Then the Maxwells would die too. Death Eaters never keep their word. They have hostages. They're already as good as dead._

But as much as Harry could justify it, he just couldn't bring himself to sign the death warrant for the Maxwells. _They're innocent. They probably have no idea about the magical world, and here they are, caught up in our war. War. That's what this is all about. War is an unsavory business all around, and in war, there are casualties. There's no two ways about it. No! I can't think like that. They've become friends. I can't just let them die._

_But you must. For the greater good, you must attack._ Another part of his mind told him; the more logical part. _You may care about them, yes, but how many more innocents will those two Death Eaters be able to kill if you let them go? Besides, how can you be so sure that you won't save them?_

The entire exchange in his mind took only a fraction of a second. Harry then took a moment to size up the situation. He was standing right in front of a Death Eater, who had his wand pressed up against Rhonda's throat. Hermione was standing in front of Lucius Malfoy, who was holding Jon hostage.

At first, Harry tried to take the easiest way out. He tried to apparate behind the two Death Eaters and take them by surprise. But he was unable to, likely due to some anti-apparition ward or spell set up in the few seconds of confusion at the beginning of the altercation. He had to come up with another plan.

_Rhonda's shorter than the Death Eater_, Harry thought. In an instant, he made up his mind.

Summoning all of his training in agility and accuracy, Harry jumped to the side quickly, and aimed his wand at the exposed head of his Death Eater.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green beam shot towards the Death Eater. Harry heard Hermione, a second later, cast the same curse at Lucius Malfoy. Just as Harry's curse hit his Death Eater, he heard two voices shout as one. "Sectumsempra!"

The Maxwells began to fall to the floor, blood gushing from their open throats. Harry's unnamed Death Eater fell to the ground with them, dead from the killing curse, while Malfoy ducked Hermione's curse and quickly crouched behind Jonathan's falling body. Harry saw him reach into his pocket for something, and then vanish. Harry hadn't had the opportunity to fire another curse at him.

Full of adrenaline, Harry took stock of the situation. There were five still forms on the ground, three of them dead Death Eaters. Making eye contact with Hermione for a split second, the two ran to check on the Maxwells.

Testing for a pulse through Jonathan's blood soaked neck, Harry found none. He looked at Hermione, who shook her head sadly. Rhonda had met the same fate. They were dead.

Harry closed Jonathan's lifeless eyes, which had remained open, just as several more pops were heard. Harry looked up to see a number of men dressed in black suits approach them. He pulled out his wand again, just in case.

The suit in the lead walked toward Harry, wand drawn and aimed. "Drop your wands!" he ordered to Harry and Hermione. Harry, having just experienced a Death Eater attack, was not so quick to comply.

"Not until you tell me who you are!" he replied angrily.

The man reached into his suit jacket with one hand, causing Harry to tighten his grip on his wand. Instead of pulling out a weapon, the man pulled out what appeared to be an identification card.

"I'm Special Agent Michael Gladstone of the U.S. Department of Magic. We're here because we detected unauthorized dark magic in the area. Now, drop your wands," he commanded again.

Harry eyed the identification card carefully, before slowly lowering his wand to the floor before letting go. Hermione, following Harry's lead, did the same. In an instant, both wands were summoned into the hands of another agent.

"Now, would you care to explain yourself?" Agent Gladstone. "Or shall I let the bodies do the explaining for you?"

Harry began to stand up, but Gladstone pointed his wand at him again. "Not so fast. Slowly now," he said, as Harry slowed his rise so as not to arouse suspicion. "That's better."

"We were attacked by Death Eaters," Harry explained exasperatedly. He looked over to Hermione, who had also stood, but was consoling a terrified Elizabeth, who was clinging to Hermione's side.

"Death Eaters?" one of the other agents said with a mocking tone. "In America? What're you gonna tell us next? That you're Harry Potter?"

Harry didn't even dignify that with a verbal response. Instead, he just brushed his hair away from his forehead to show his scar. Silence swept the area. "Yeah, you might say that," Harry said cheekily.

Gladstone, for his part, used his wand to cast finite incantatum on Harry, but nothing happened. Next, he produced a vial of liquid from his suit pocket and handed it to Harry. "Drink this," he instructed. Harry looked at Hermione, who simply nodded, apparently having a better grasp of the situation than he.

Harry drank the liquid and waited for a few moments. Nothing happened. "What was that?" he asked Gladstone, handing him the empty vial.

"Polyjuice reversal potion. I had to make sure you were who you said you were. No glamours, no tricks. Now, I must ask you to come with us."

"You've got to be joking! We were just attacked on your soil, two innocents were killed, and we have a distraught young girl here. Why should we go with you, instead of going back home?"

"Because we're your only ticket out of here. Face it. We could prosecute you for illegal use of dark magic. You used the killing curse on more than one occasion. That's grounds for prison time here. Your other option is to come with us so we can get this all sorted out," Gladstone replied.

Harry and Hermione finally relented, not wanting to cause any more trouble. Granted, they had only defended themselves, but at the same time, they had created a bit of a literal mess. Hermione took Elizabeth's hand and the three followed Gladstone and three other agents out of the area. Several more were left behind to clean up.

They followed Gladstone out of the museum and across the National Mall in silence. Gladstone led them to the base of the Washington Monument, where he opened a well concealed door that led to a staircase. Harry, Hermione, and Elizabeth, along with their government guides, descended several flights of stairs before reaching an extremely long corridor.

The corridor took another five minutes to traverse, before a great metal door impeded their further progress.

"Any chance of getting somewhere soon?" Harry asked sarcastically. He was not in the mood for games.

"You Brits have your hidden Ministry of Magic," Gladstone said. "And we have our Department hidden underground as well. Don't go trying to act all high and mighty here, Mr. Potter." He then proceeded to cast a series of complex charms on the door. After a moment, it slowly began to open.

"You know, I get the distinct impression you don't like me," Harry observed.

"Well, your attitude isn't helping any," Gladstone offered. That shut Harry up immediately. He was right. Harry had been nothing but rude since they had been met by the agents.

"Fine, you're right, I'm sorry. I've just seen several people killed, two of them at my own hand. I'm just a little on edge right now," he apologized.

"It's perfectly understandable, Mr. Potter. It's just that we're people too, and we don't like to be spoken to like that. So hopefully, you can understand my point of view too. Anyway, here we are."

Harry looked past Gladstone to see what looked to be the lobby of a large corporate headquarters. It was a massive room, which was longer than it was wide. The walls appeared to be made of glass, and it looked as though they were outside, rather than underground, due to the outdoor images on the walls. The ceiling, which towered over a hundred feet above, appeared to be charmed like the ceiling in the Great Hall, to display the midday sky, with the artificial sun producing the light for the lobby.

There were a series of desks lining two walls, one on each side. Behind each, there was a door in the alleged windowed wall. Each desk was labeled with a different department or office, such as the Office of Magical Creatures, the office of Magical Education, and many others. At the far end of the lobby, which was a few hundred feet long, Harry and Hermione could make out a desk, much larger than the others, which was for the Office of the Secretary of Magic.

As Harry tried to step into the room, he hit an invisible wall just inside the door. He looked to either side to see two security desks, one on each side of him. One of the guards staffing the desks looked up at him and laughed lightly.

"Please fill out your name and business on this form," he said to Harry. But as Harry went to do so, Gladstone waved him off.

"He's with me, and we have their wands. Now just please lower the barrier for us." The guard looked at Gladstone skeptically for a moment before complying. Harry saw a brief shimmer of light, indicating that the barrier was down. He gingerly tested to make sure it was, by stepping forward. This time, he met with no resistance.

Gladstone led the three to a desk labeled for the Office of Magical Law Enforcement, which was near the Office of the Secretary of Magic. The other three handlers had separated from the group as soon as they entered the lobby. Gladstone nodded to the receptionist at the desk before the door opened before him. He led Harry, Hermione, and Elizabeth into another hall.

This hall was more normal looking, but was much more claustrophobic than the entry hall they had just left. They were led around several corners before entering what appeared to be a somewhat large meeting room. The table in the center had several chairs on each side, so Harry and Hermione took a seat, with Elizabeth between them. The young girl had not said a word since she had seen her guardians murdered, but was clinging to Harry and Hermione for support.

Gladstone sat down across from Harry. "Now, as you may have guessed, I'm with the Preventers," he began. Harry had to bite back a retort about how they hadn't prevented anything. "The question is, why are you here?"

"My wife Hermione and I are on vacation for a few weeks here. We're staying up in Massachusetts, and we decided to apparate down here to see the sights. Something wrong with that?"

"Not at all. It's just that we don't get too many of you Brits coming over here and making a mess like you did today. We've always been insulated from your wars."

"Well, it looks like you're not insulated any more. Two of your civilians were just murdered in cold blood by followers of Voldemort. You know who that is, right?" Harry asked. Gladstone nodded. "Why here of all places? Why now? We've been in this country for over a week now, and they haven't made a move on us. We were sitting targets in Ashfield, but they didn't attack us there."

Gladstone's eyebrows rose at Harry's last statement. "Ashfield, you say? Well there's your answer. Ashfield is a prototype town. We built it as a haven for magical people. Yes, that's right. Every person there is magical. But it was meant as a retreat for witches and wizards in America to live as muggles with their own kind. I take it you were given an address of a house there to stay at?"

Harry nodded at the question. Aberforth Dumbledore had given them the address of the house before they left. "See, the entire town, and the surrounding area, is under the Fidelius charm. As soon as you know the address of a building within it's confines, you are able to see the entire town. We thought that would be the best way to protect the secrecy of the magical community."

Now it was starting to make sense. Even if they were being followed, they couldn't be touched in Ashfield. It also made sense that Aberforth would own a house in a magical area. "But we visited New York yesterday, and nothing happened there," Harry argued.

"Did you notice anyone suspicious during your visit today?" Harry and Hermione racked their brains, but couldn't come up with something. "It's possible you were spotted, and your position was relayed to the Death Eaters. We may never know for sure."

"So what now?" Harry asked.

"I need to know exactly what happened, and what spells you used at the museum today. With any luck, I can get you out of trouble. The problem is that here, your celebrity doesn't count for as much. You can get away with some things, but I doubt you can get away with whatever you want, at least not without a good excuse."

So, Harry and Hermione regaled the story of the attack to Gladstone, who summoned what appeared to be a Quick Quotes Quill to take down their testimony. After a few minutes, Harry reached the part where the agents had arrived, and he concluded his tale.

"I see," Gladstone said, sitting back in his chair. "Now tell me, exactly, how two fourteen? No, fifteen year olds were so able to take down several Death Eaters?"

"Well, actually," Hermione explained, "we're the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts. We are certified Defense masters."

"Hmpf…Well that would explain a lot. I'm going to rule that your use of Unforgivable curses was valid in these circumstances, as not much else is effective against Death Eaters. Now, I do believe that is everything-"

"Not quite," Harry interrupted. "We still have the most important issue to discuss."

"And what would that be, Mr. Potter?"

"Your country getting involved in the war against Voldemort," Harry said simply.

Gladstone didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the receiver of a phone on the table dialed a few numbers. It wasn't lost on Harry or Hermione that American wizards used some muggle technology.

"Hey, Gretchen, it's Agent Gladstone," he began, "I was wondering if the Secretary has a few minutes to spare. Uh-huh. Okay. Well, can you tell him I have a certain Harry Potter here with me who'd like to speak with him? Yes, I'll hold."

Harry looked at Gladstone confusedly. The agent put his hand over the mouthpiece to speak. "You'll want to talk to the Secretary of Magic about any involvement in your war," he explained to Harry. "He will?" Gladstone said into the phone again. "Great. We'll be there in a minute." Gladstone hung up the phone. "Well, it appears your celebrity does count for something here. The Secretary will see us immediately without an appointment. It's this way," he said, getting up and leading them out the door.

* * *

Two minutes later found the group in front of the door to the office of the Secretary of Magic. Gladstone opened the door and walked in first.

"Ah! Michael! I hear you have someone who wants to talk to me?" a voice said. As Harry entered the room, he saw that the voice belonged to a short, but imposing man in his mid sixties. He was almost completely bald, and what little hair he had left was turning white.

The room itself was a dark green color, and was quite large, with a huge, ornate desk in the center. Behind the desk sat the Secretary, and behind him were more of the charmed windows. The nameplate on the desk revealed that his name was Richard Newton.

"And you must be Harry Potter!" he said jovially, appearing too eager to get on Harry's good side early. The Secretary stood to shake Harry's hand. Harry played along, as he realized that the only way to get the help of the Americans was to ingratiate himself with the Secretary.

"Mr. Secretary," Harry said respectfully as he shook the older man's hand before sitting down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Potter?" Newton asked, still wearing a smile.

"Sir, I take it you are aware of the attack at the Smithsonian earlier today by a number of Death Eaters?" Harry asked.

The Secretary nodded his head gravely. "Terrible business indeed. We never thought your war would make it to our shores."

"But now it has, and two of your citizens are dead. This could mark the beginning of a new front by Voldemort. Are you prepared to fight such a war?"

"Mr. Potter, this was an unfortunate, random attack today, not the beginning of an invasion. As such, I see no reason to involve ourselves in a skirmish an ocean away. It doesn't concern us."

"But you're part of this world, aren't you? Voldemort will not stop with Britain. He had designs that reach far beyond our tiny isles. If Britain falls, the Continent is next. How long do you think you can manage with a Voldemort who controls the entire continent of Europe?"

"I am fully aware of your heroism, Mr. Potter, but I think even you may be blowing this out of proportion."

"Out of proportion? You've seen that over the last several months, hundreds of civilians are dead, and our Ministry isn't able to do anything about it. They are fighting a faceless, invisible enemy, who strikes to instill fear into the hearts of the masses."

"If your Ministry can't even find him or stop the attacks, what do you want us to do?"

Harry paused for a moment. He had been hoping to get support easily. Now he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted from them.

"Intelligence, for one. You have to have agents in Britain." Newton remained indifferent to avoid revealing the answer. "For now, what we need is intelligence. Any information you have about the location of Voldemort, or where he's going to attack next would be invaluable. Even the tiniest shred of information is helpful. But when the time comes for open battle with him, we will need everything at your disposal. We can't fight this war on our own."

Secretary Newton appeared to think this over for a few minutes in silence. "I will have to discuss this with the President. No decision of this scale can be made without his approval."

For the first time, Hermione spoke up. "You mean the President knows about magic? I thought that position has always been held by a muggle?"

"It has, Miss…"

"Mrs. Potter," Hermione corrected.

"Mrs. Potter. But the President is privy to information that most are not allowed to know exist. Before a President takes office, there is a secrets briefing, in which national secrets are passed from one Chief Executive to the next. Our Department is included in that briefing. Now, we'll be in touch with your Ministry about are ability to help. If you'll excuse me, I have another pressing engagement I must attend." Newton nodded at Gladstone, who led the way back out of the office.

As they were walking, Gladstone spoke up. "Actually there's one last place we need to visit before I can allow you to leave." They walked down a hallway and through a door. As they passed through it, Hermione caught the name of the room out of the corner of her eye. It was the Obliviation Chamber. The name didn't' register with her until the door was closed behind her.

"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed, seeing a lone wizard sitting behind a desk in the otherwise white room. "You aren't going to be obliviating us!"

"It's not for you," Gladstone explained. He nodded towards Elizabeth, who was still silently standing between Harry and Hermione. "It's for her."

"And what good will it do to erase her memories?" Hermione challenged.

"She knows about the magical world now. She saw your battle, and we can't afford to let that knowledge out."

"She just saw her foster parents have their throats slit a few hours ago, and now you want to add to the mental trauma?"

"It's for her own good. She won't remember their deaths, which will be better in the long run for her," Gladstone explained.

Hermione crouched slightly to come down to Elizabeth's level. "Elizabeth, sweetheart, these men want to make you forget everything that's happened today. You don't want them to do that, do you?"

"No," the young girl said quietly, looking up and making eye contact with Gladstone.

The agent's gaze faltered for a moment before he recovered. "We don't have a choice. Policy is clear in these matters. She is a muggle, and muggles can't be allowed to find out about the magical world." Gladstone nodded to the sitting wizard.

The wizard stood and pointed his wand at Elizabeth before starting to walk up to her. Just as he got within five feet of her, he suddenly flew back with great force and hit the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Instantly, Gladstone whipped out his wand and trained it on Harry. "How dare you attack a member of the Department of Magic!" he bellowed.

"I didn't do anything," Harry replied calmly. "In case you don't remember, you still have our wands. I think little Elizabeth here was trying to defend herself with a bit of accidental magic."

"Impossible. I know for a fact that, when you entered the Department earlier, she showed up as a non-magical person."

"Well, believe what you want, but I wonder what the reaction would be to you obliviating a witch for finding out about the magical world. The public outcry in the magical community would be fierce."

Gladstone thought this over for a moment as he revived the fallen wizard. "Fine. But what do you want us to do with _her_?"

Harry knelt down. "Elizabeth, do you have any family you can stay with?" he asked. She shook her head. Harry looked at Hermione for guidance, and her eyes gave him all he needed. "How would you like to stay with us for a few days until we figure out where you can go?"

Elizabeth looked up at Harry, then at Hermione, with hope in her eyes. "I'd like that," she said softly.

Harry stood back up. "That settles it. We'll take care of her for a few days until our vacation is over."

"But what will you do with her then?" Gladstone asked skeptically.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, I think our business here is concluded. Can we have our wands back?"

Gladstone nodded grudgingly before leading the Potters and Elizabeth back to the security desk. They walked back down the long hallway and up the stairs until they were again outside the Washington Monument.

Safely outside the confines of the Department of Magic, Gladstone gave Harry and Hermione their wands back, before turning and returning to the Department without a word. Looking around to make sure they weren't seen, Hermione spoke to Elizabeth.

"Now, Elizabeth, this will feel really weird, alright?" Hermione warned. The girl nodded.

Hermione took Elizabeth's hand, and the three apparated out of Washington, DC and back to the house in Ashfield. Harry unlocked the door to the house and led the other two inside. Once inside, Hermione started to laugh, an act which confused Harry.

"Sorry, Harry. But I can't believe you pulled that wandless stunt back there. Sirius would be proud of you," she said between laughs. Harry began to laugh with her.

"Yes, I do believe I handled that one perfectly," Harry said proudly, earning a playful slap from Hermione.

When the two had calmed down, they looked over to see Elizabeth sitting silently on one of the couches looking at them strangely. Harry and Hermione sat down on either side of her.

"So, Elizabeth, how old are you?" Hermione asked.

"Almost eleven," she said with her head down. Hermione wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Hey, it's alright. You haven't cried all day, even though you saw some terrible things you should never have to see. Come on, let it out," Hermione said gently.

Elizabeth began to silently cry, tears sliding down her cheeks. Soon, she was sobbing. Harry couldn't blame her. She had seen her guardians brutally murdered earlier in the day, something that no ten year old should ever have to witness. The fact that she had lasted this long without breaking down was incredible.

At the same time, Harry was not a emotional person. Sure, he had his occasional breakdowns, but he could not relate well to people who were emotional. He found himself lost when faced with a crying person, such as there was next to him. As a result, he was thankful he had Hermione there with him to help.

As Elizabeth cried, Harry silently extricated himself from the situation and walked to the kitchen. He pulled out the mirror from his pocket. "The Grangers," he called. A moment later, Dan and Emma's faces appeared.

"Hey, Harry, how's it going?" Dan asked as soon as the image appeared.

"Well, remember how we said we were going to Washington, DC today?" Both Grangers nodded. "Things didn't turn out exactly as we planned. We were attacked and watched as two others were murdered by Death Eaters. Now their foster daughter is here, spending a few days with us, and I don't know what to do."

"The question is, Harry, what do you _want_ to do?" Emma asked. "That's the first question that needs to be answered. Do you want to see this girl leave to go to a random home?"

"No. The U.S. government tried to obliviate her today. If we let her go to another family, there's no stopping them from trying it again."

"Then there's your answer. How's Hermione taking this?"

"She's treating Elizabeth like the daughter she's always wanted. The two get along great. I mean, I don't get along with Elizabeth that badly, in fact I get along with her quite well. It's just that she and Hermione seem to have developed some sort of bond."

"Then it sounds like Hermione has started to form the mother-daughter bond with this girl. And trust me, Harry, that that bond is not something you want to trifle with."

"Wait, are you saying that we should adopt Elizabeth?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment.

"Absolutely not, Harry. I wouldn't dream of telling you two what to do," Emma said. "But at the same time, I think you should spend some time with Elizabeth. You said she was staying with you for a few days. Get to know her, and then you can make that decision. But trust me when I say that I have a feeling how this will turn out in the end."

Harry nodded and shut the mirror. He returned to the living room to find that Hermione and Elizabeth had not moved from their previous position. Harry took up his original spot and grabbed hold of Hermione's hand behind Elizabeth. He would make the effort to relate to the young girl.

* * *

The next five days were extremely relaxing for Harry and Hermione. They spent almost every waking moment with Elizabeth, taking her into town and on various walks, as well as simply talking with her. She still had the occasional emotional breakdown, but it seemed as though she was recovering from it quite well.

Due to all the time spent with Elizabeth, Harry and Hermione hardly had any alone time, or other time to themselves. But at the same time, Harry _almost_ didn't notice that fact, as he was enjoying watching Hermione connect with Elizabeth.

Through it all, Harry seemed to be bonding with the ten year old easily. Once he dismantled the emotional wall he had put up, he found it easy to care deeply for Elizabeth. Hermione watched her husband grow to care for the girl as his own with pride. He was experiencing the same connection she had made with Elizabeth days before.

The day before they were scheduled to return to Potter Manor, Harry and Hermione sat Elizabeth down in the living room for a little talk. The girl had become more talkative over the past few days, and was no longer resorting to simple head motions to answer questions.

"So, Liz," Harry began, "how have you liked spending time with us?"

Elizabeth, who Harry had taken to calling Liz, looked at Harry and Hermione. "It's been great," she said. "But where am I going to go tomorrow? You said you were leaving for home, which means I have to go to another foster family, doesn't it?"

"That's actually why we wanted to talk to you," Hermione said. "We wanted to know if you wanted to go to another foster home."

"No, they're never my real family. I've gone to three different families, but I always know I don't belong there," she replied sadly.

"Then how would you like to stay with us?" Harry asked.

"That'd be great!" Elizabeth replied. "But it would be just another foster home, wouldn't it?"

"No, you wouldn't be our foster daughter," Harry said, earning a rejected look from Elizabeth. "You would be our daughter."

Elizabeth looked at Harry with what appeared to be hope in her eyes, masked by unshed tears. "I'd like that," she said quietly.

"So you want to be a Potter?" Hermione asked. "You'd leave everyone you know behind, but you could live with us in our house, as our _real daughter. Is that what you want? We just want to be sure."_

Elizabeth nodded her head fervently. "More than anything."

Harry smiled at Hermione. "Alright then, we need to make it official. Why don't you go get ready, and we'll leave in a few minutes, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded and ran upstairs to the guest room, where she had been staying for the past few days. When they were alone, Harry turned to his wife.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked, wanting to be sure this is what they both wanted.

"Harry, you saw the look on her face. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the right thing to do. You and I both know how much you love her, and I can't help but feel the same. We all three need this."

Their conversation was interrupted by Elizabeth tearing down the stairs and into the family room, her shoes untied due to her rushing. Harry and Hermione chuckled. It was clear that she was excited about the prospect of a permanent family.

The three made the short walk to Ashfield, and the town's courthouse. As this was a magical town, any business conducted in the courthouse would have implications in both the magical and non-magical worlds. Also, since they now knew Ashfield to be magical, Harry and Hermione could no longer rely on their aliases for cover. The adoption would have to be conducted with their real names. But that was a small price to pay for them.

Harry and Hermione filled out the paperwork and signed in two boxes at the bottom of the page. Finally, with a shaking hand, Harry offered the page to Elizabeth, and indicated that her signature belonged in the final box near the bottom.

Without a moment's hesitation, Elizabeth signed her name on the bottom of the page. The three boxes glowed blue for a moment and then the paper disappeared.

Harry wrapped Elizabeth in a hug after the page disappeared. "That's it," he said. "You're our daughter now." He then kissed his new daughter on the top of her head. After a moment, Harry turned Elizabeth over to Hermione, who also gave her a huge hug. Both she and Harry were the happiest they had been in a long time.

The three then left the courthouse and went over to the café, where Harry treated them to ice cream. While a far cry from Fortescue's parlor in Diagon Alley, the café produced serviceable ice cream that was perfect to commemorate the occasion. Afterwards, Hermione returned the books they had checked out to the Ashfield library, before the group returned to the house.

The rest of the day was spent packing up their belongings for their return home the next day. Elizabeth only had a few things to her name, most of them being simple clothes that Harry and Hermione had picked up for her over the previous days. Those were packed up with Hermione's things.

Harry also ran a quick errand that evening as well. He apparated to Logan International Airport to buy an extra ticket back to London for their flight in the morning. Harry and Hermione had originally only bought two, but now they were bringing an extra body home.

The Potters went to bed that night content with their vacation overall. It had not gone as expected, but had ended with a more joy present in their lives than they had had in years.

* * *

The door to Harry and Hermione's room at the vacation home opened slowly at six in the morning the next day. Elizabeth Potter crept into the room to see her new parents tangled up with each other, and a pile of clothes on the floor.

As she saw her parent's bare shoulders over the sheets, Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, and she quickly turned to flee the room. As she did so, she tripped and fell with a crash. The sound awoke Harry and Hermione with a start, both of whom turned red with embarrassment as they took in their state of undress.

Hermione sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, and causing Harry to groan in displeasure. "Morning, honey," Hermione said, still blushing. "What're you doing in here so early? We didn't expect you."

"I can tell," Elizabeth said, picking herself up and not looking at Harry or Hermione.

Hermione steeled herself for what was to come. "Now, honey, when two people love each other very much-"

"Mione, it's too soon. Let's not have this conversation for another few years. I don't think I could take it," Harry complained.

Hermione eyed Harry carefully. "Elizabeth, your father and I were just sleeping. That's all. You just took us by surprise."

"That's all?" Elizabeth said suspiciously. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were getting up. It's almost time to go?"

Harry looked at the clock, which said it was five minutes after six. "Excited much, Liz?" he asked.

"I just thought we should get ready to go," Elizabeth explained. Harry chuckled lightly.

"Alright, we'll get up. Why don't you go downstairs and start getting some breakfast stuff out while we get dressed, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well, that was certainly embarrassing," Hermione said, getting out of bed and putting her clothes back on. Harry's eyes lingered for a moment as he did the same. "But you know she'll be curious now, especially since we didn't have the talk."

"Hermione, we've been parents for all of one day. I hardly think it's time to talk about the birds and the bees with our ten year old daughter. She's too young for that. Besides, since I won't let her start dating until she's forty, I think we have plenty of time."

"You know, you're sounding more and more like my dad every day, Harry," Hermione said with a smile.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Father's prerogative. Good thing we put up the silencing charm though," he added with a grin.

After a few minutes, Harry and Hermione walked downstairs, where Elizabeth had gotten out eggs, bacon, and bread for breakfast. Harry set to work cooking, while Hermione told Elizabeth about her parents and Draco. She also told their daughter about their life in England, not sparing any details about magic.

"Do you and dad work?" Elizabeth asked. Harry's heart stopped for a moment as he heard himself referred to as 'dad' for the first time.

"We're teachers at a special magic school," Hermione explained. "It's a huge castle filled with cool things. You'll love it there, since you get to live with us there during the school year." Hermione was trying her best to put it into youthful terms. Harry thought it was cute, as Hermione never used the word 'cool.'

After breakfast, the three grabbed their bags and apparated to Logan International Airport for their flight home. Elizabeth had never flown on a plane before, and as such, she was doubly excited for their trip. After just over an hour of waiting in the terminal, their flight was announced, and they boarded the giant plane.

The flight went smoothly. Harry and Hermione allowed Elizabeth to have the window seat, and she spent the entirety of the flight with her face glued to the window. The Potters erected the same privacy spells they had used on their first flight, and under their cover, Harry and Hermione slept. They had had a late night and were awoken far too early that morning.

Several hours later, the plane touched down at London's Heathrow Airport. Wanting to introduce the newest Potter to the Grangers as soon as possible, the three grabbed their luggage and left the plane. In the end, Harry was left carrying the heavier checked luggage, while Hermione and Elizabeth carried the carry-on bags.

Just outside the terminal, the Potters were met by Dan and Emma, and this time they had brought Draco with them. As they approached, Hermione ran to Emma and hugged her, while Dan grabbed Harry in a one-armed hug as well.

"And who is this little angel?" Emma asked innocently. Harry had not let Hermione know about the conversation from a few days ago.

"Um, mum, dad, this is your new granddaughter," Hermione said nervously.

"Wow, Harry," Dan began, "you two sure do work fast. It took us nine months for Hermione. You two did it in two weeks!" Harry blushed slightly at his insinuation.

"Daddy!" Hermione exclaimed, turning bright red for the second time that day.

Introductions were made all around, and the Potters and Grangers grabbed onto the rope that served as a portkey, and were whisked away to Potter Manor. When they arrived, Elizabeth's jaw dropped to the ground as she saw their house. From the outside, it looked to be the same size as some of the museums they had visited earlier.

Harry and Hermione gave their daughter a tour of her new home, as well as letting her choose what room she wanted. She chose one near her parents', a thought which made Harry and Hermione slightly nervous.

They also introduced Elizabeth to Dobby, an event that was entertaining to say the least, as Elizabeth's eyes seemed to leap from their sockets as she caught sight of the house-elf. But with some explanation, she took things at face value, and was slowly getting used to the idea of magic.

Since London was five hours ahead of Massachusetts, the day was much shorter than usual for the three returning Potters. They spent most of the day unpacking and touring the house before they retired at just after ten in the evening. They were all eager to start their new life as a real family.


	22. Through Troubled Waters

Chapter 22

Through Troubled Waters

After Harry, Hermione, and Elizabeth returned home to Potter Manor, it was time to get back to work. Even though it was summer, Harry and Hermione had resolved to continue to work with the Order of the Gold Cross, as they could be needed at any time.

Prior to the end of school, Hermione had made several dozen charmed galleons, just like she had with Dumbledore's Army in their first fifth year. She gave these out to the Order, so that they could summon them for training and other purposes whenever they wanted. These galleons were slightly different from the ones used before, as now, any member could alert other members of the Order if they were in trouble. The rest of the Order could then come to their aid, using the galleons as portkeys.

Harry and Hermione had learned that Elizabeth's birthday was August 17, which made for slightly inconvenient timing, as it was so close to their anniversary. But they brushed it aside, not caring when her birthday was, so much as she enjoyed it.

The day after their return to Potter Manor, Dumbledore arrived for a visit with Harry and Hermione. They had not told him about the Death Eater attack, or their adoption of Elizabeth yet, and had asked him to come and visit.

"Ah, Harry, Hermione, nice to see you looking so rested," the Headmaster said as he sat down on one of the couches in the family room. "I trust your vacation went smoothly?"

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. They had expected Dumbledore to have at least some inkling of what had transpired during their trip, but he seemed to have no clue.

"Well, Grandpa, it went well for the first week or so. But then we were attacked by Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy in Washington, DC. We were able to take out three of the four, but not before they killed two muggles. Malfoy escaped as well," Harry explained.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So Mister Malfoy has reappeared after all this time? I don't need to remind you two that he had not been seen or heard from since you rescued his son from him. I fear he may be spending time with the Dark Lord."

"I think the more important question is how they found out we were in Washington," Hermione said. "There were only a handful of people who knew we were on vacation at all, let alone in Washington." Suddenly, Hermione smacked her head. "Of course! How could I forget. Harry, remember that suspicious looking man that we saw?"

"Mione, you'll have to be more specific than that. One of the downsides of being me is that everyone starts to look suspicious after a while."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I mean the one at the entrance to the Smithsonian. He looked at us a little too closely for my comfort. What if he was a Death Eater spy?"

"An excellent theory, Mrs. Potter. However, it still leaves open the question about how a spy would know to look for you in that particular location. I believe we could have a double agent on our hands," Dumbledore said with an air of gravity.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, you may be right," Hermione agreed. "But the question remains: who is it? Only four other people knew we were going to Washington; my parents, Draco, and…Ginny. Ginny. She was there on the call with my parents and Draco before we left!"

"However much circumstantial evidence we may have against Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore began, "we must have firm proof of her guilt before we can take any action. I advise you to keep a close eye on her, as well as young Draco. She may use him as a pawn in her game, should she be guilty of course," Dumbledore added with a smile. Harry and Hermione had shared their misgivings about Ginny during the previous school year, when they had found out about Draco's feelings toward her. The Headmaster had encouraged them to give her a chance, but at the same time, a wide berth.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Harry said with a light tone of triumph. No doubt he felt vindicated for his earlier doubts about Ginny.

"Now, why do I get the feeling that there is something else you two wished to discuss with me?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, Grandpa, we kinda adopted a muggle girl in the States," Harry said sheepishly.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow curiously. "I see. Did it occur to you how reckless that could have been, introducing a muggle child to the world of magic? What prompted this course of action?"

"Actually, we were there when her foster parents were murdered," Hermione explained. "They were the two muggles who were killed by the Death Eaters. It's just that we immediately connected with her, and she with us. We just couldn't leave her there at the mercy of the American government."

"I will admit that the American government does have a very rudimentary system for dealing with the magical world, one that seems to lack nuance and finesse. However, you do realize that you will be bringing a muggle child to Hogwarts in the fall. I hardly think that is an appropriate environment for someone of her heritage."

"Can we just call her by her name?" Harry asked, slightly irritated. "It's Elizabeth, by the way. And she is a person too, not an object."

"Exactly, Harry. And as such, we must take care to do what is in little Ms. Potter's best interests. Hogwarts is not set up for a muggle education, only a magical one. I really see only two choices. One, you find some sort of care for her outside of Hogwarts and send her to a muggle school, or two…"

"I like the second option better," Hermione interrupted.

"I thought you might," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "It would be best to do it prior to the start of school, so that everything could be set in motion. But I will leave that up to you two."

"Why do I always feel like I'm being left out in conversations with you two?" Harry asked. "I'd like to know what's going on as much as the next person."

"Please forgive us, Harry. Your dear wife and I tend to get ahead of ourselves sometimes, and we forget there are others involved in our conversations. Would you care to explain, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked.

"We need to do a magical transfer to Elizabeth," Hermione said definitively.

Harry thought this over for a moment. On the one hand, it made perfect sense to give Elizabeth magical abilities. It would help defend her against Voldemort and his followers, given training, as well as allow her to better fit in at Hogwarts. The only downside to Harry though, was a big one. He remembered the pain the Grangers went through during the first transfer, and he would never wish that upon his daughter. That, and there was a part of his mind that kept telling him that they shouldn't get to reliant on the whole power transfer ritual. There was something about it that just screamed unnaturalness and that they were messing with the order of the universe. But Harry brushed that thought aside quickly.

"Alright," Harry replied. "But not now. It's too soon. Let's let Liz get used to living with us, as well as the magical world first, and then take it from there."

"A sound plan, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Now, I have just remembered something else I wanted to bring up with you two. The attack in America was the first Death Eater attack in over a month. Tom has been far too quiet for my liking, something that is deeply troubling."

"You think he's planning something," Harry concluded.

"While I would like nothing more than to be very wrong on this matter, yes, I do believe that is the case, Harry. The question is, what?" Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry.

"Don't look at me! I haven't had any visions or dreams or whatever you want to call them since the Hydra. I have no idea what's going on."

"Alas, it is at times like these that I wish Severus hadn't been so foolish as to get himself killed that night," Dumbledore sighed. "He would have proven to be a valuable asset."

"He died to save me," Harry mumbled to himself. But Dumbledore heard him.

"I did not mean it in that way, Harry. I simply meant that I wish there was some other way," Dumbledore explained kindly. "But back to the matter at hand. Tom is planning something, and we have no way of knowing what. I fear that when the time comes, we will be grossly under prepared."

"We're working with the Order of the Gold Cross to train as much as we can," Harry said.

"But we can always do more," Hermione added, looking at Harry, who hung his head in shame. "I think it's time we move the Order to it's second stage. We need to put it on a war footing."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Your wisdom never ceases to astound me, Mrs. Potter. But I am curious, how do you intend to do that? Please humor an old man."

Hermione looked at Harry, who spoke. "We've talked about a few things. We've been training the Order in magical combat, and a little in aerial magical combat, but that's it. We were thinking of breaking up the Order into a few smaller units, ones that focus on a specific area of combat."

"To keep Voldemort and his minions on their toes," Hermione added. "We were thinking of having a unit focused entirely on the air; a sort of air force. Also, one that is trained in gunplay. That is something that the Death Eaters will never see coming, and will have a hard time defending against. But beyond that, we're lost. We've only just begun to think along these lines."

"Then allow me to give you a few suggestions," Dumbledore requested. Harry and Hermione nodded. "Have you trained in shrugging off the Imperious curse?" Both shook their heads. "Then I would start there. That is an invaluable skill that will serve you and your Order well. Also, look into Animagus training. I daresay that you will definitely take Tom by surprise if you suddenly have an army of animals charging at him in the heat of battle.

But regarding your idea of various units within your Order, I think that is a marvelous idea. I would like to add my own ideas as well though. You might want to consider, in addition to your group using muggle guns, one that is trained in swordplay. It is possible to combine wands into swords, and carry just the sword around. It allows for close quarters combat in addition to long range dueling. I think you should consider this as well. Finally, I believe it would serve you well to train all members in hand to hand combat. As much as we would not like to admit it, such a scenario could play out, where a battle devolves to such primal combat."

Harry and Hermione sat back with incredulous looks on their faces. The potential provided by Dumbledore's ideas was not lost on them, and they were silently considering how best to go about putting them into motion.

"But I would warn you," Dumbledore added, "if you are to keep Ms. Weasley on a short leash, that you not involve her as much as some others. But make it appear as though she is involved. You do not want to attract suspicion, should she be guilty. You may want to give her a less important role, but play up its importance. Just some food for thought. Now," he said, rubbing his hands together, "I believe I have a great-great-granddaughter to meet."

"Wait," Harry said, causing Dumbledore to pause. "Couldn't you just use legilimency on Ginny to find out what she's up to?"

"Normally I would not condone using such a tactic on a student, Harry," Dumbledore began. "However, considering the circumstances, you may be right. I will meet with Ms. Weasley, under other pretenses, of course, and find out what I can. Now where is this Elizabeth?"

Introductions were made between Dumbledore and Elizabeth, who greeted the Headmaster warmly. She was beginning to love her new family, and was excited to meet any new members. Dumbledore explained that he was the Headmaster at the school Harry and Hermione taught at, which only served to increase Elizabeth's interest in him.

After Dumbledore left, Harry and Hermione retired to the library to continue working on their plans for the Order. In addition to the ideas thrown out during their conversation with the Headmaster, they also decided that they needed some other tricks up their sleeves, something else that the Death Eaters wouldn't expect. They just weren't sure what.

* * *

So it was, a week after returning from vacation, that Hermione summoned the Order of the Gold Cross to Potter Manor for more training. She and Harry had come up with an extensive list of what they wanted the Order to be capable of doing, and it was time to put their plan into action.

Several minutes after summoning them via their enchanted galleons, all three dozen members of the Order of the Gold Cross were standing in the backyard of Potter Manor. Actually, calling it a backyard may be a bit of an understatement. Instead, a field may be more appropriate. With his personal militia assembled, Harry took center stage.

"I know it's summer, and the last thing you all want to be doing is learning, but I think we need to practice over the summer." Harry got a glare from Hermione. "_We _think that we need to practice over the summer," he corrected himself. "But at the same time, we wanted to meet to discuss the organization and strategies of the Order as well. First off, I think we should do some practice."

"So far we've worked on spell casting as well as aerial combat, in addition to several other areas," Hermione began. "But we think it's time to branch out into a few other areas as well. One of the things we think all members of the Order should be proficient in is shaking off the Imperious curse."

"It's a tricky little bugger," Harry continued, "but with training, all of you can be immune to its effects. Now, the basic trick is to steel your mind early. I don't think any of you have been subjected to the Imperious yet, but trust me, when you are first hit with it, there is a brief lull before anything happens. The more powerful the caster, the shorter the downtime before you receive instruction. Basically, you will feel a cool, tingly sensation as soon as you are hit with the curse, and you immediately need to clear your mind and concentrate on rejecting any instructions.

In the end, it's actually pretty easy to get the hang of, its just that most witches and wizards don't recognize the fact that they've been cursed until it's too late. They've already received their instructions, and by that point, its much harder to shake off."

Someone spoke up from the back. "And how do we shake it off after that point?"

"There is no training we can give you to help you with that," Harry admitted. "It only comes down to your magical strength against the strength of the caster. So, really, the best way to free yourself from the curse is to identify it early and steel your mind against it. With practice, you can refuse the commands given to you by the caster this way. But if you wait too long, you'll already be under the influence and it will be too late."

Since Potter Manor and its surrounding land was warded against magical detection from the outside, they were free to practice using the Imperious curse on one another. Some members of the Order were slow to catch on, while others, especially the older students who had some idea about Occlumency, caught on much faster. After just over an hour, Harry called an end to the practice.

"Great job, everyone," Harry said, praising the group. "Not many people can catch on that easily. But there is some other business we want to cover. So far, we've focused on basic combat for the Order, but we won't get far in a fight if we aren't able to outsmart our enemies. We need a few tricks up our sleeves. Any ideas?"

"I thought you called _us_ here?" Ron asked sarcastically from the front of the group. "Now you want us to give _you_ ideas?"

"Yeah, well Hermione and I have a few ideas, but we're only two people, and can't come up with every idea known to man. We just wanted a fresh perspective. Anyone have any ideas?"

There was silence for a few moments before one person spoke up. It was Neville Longbottom.

"I, um, always thought it would be cool to have something that could, um, produce a shield by itself," he said meekly.

"Good idea, Neville," Hermione praised. She and Harry had agreed to give the young Longbottom boy as much support as they could. They knew how little confidence he had in himself. "Alright," Hermione continued, "we need to find a way to contain a shield charm inside of an object." She conjured a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write down notes.

Emboldened by the fact that one idea had already been thrown out there, Ginny spoke up. "What about armor? Shield charms are all fine and good, but what happens if they fail? We should have some kind of physical protection too."

"Great idea," Harry said. "But its funny you should mention it. See, we've got some armor already set aside for the Order. We just need to work on it so that it looks like we want. Wait. Hermione, is there any way we could combine the two ideas? Have the armor contain the shield charm?"

Hermione tapped the quill against her chin a few times in thought. "Maybe," she said finally. "But it'll take some work. And no, Harry, I won't do it by myself. I know what you're thinking, that if there's research involved, I'll jump at the chance to do it on my own. Not this time. I think we should spread the responsibility around, don't you?"

An evil grin spread across Harry's face. "Oh, I couldn't agree more," he said. In a louder voice he said, "Actually, this ties in perfectly with some other ideas we've had. Hermione just had the idea of giving out assignments to various groups so that we can have multiple projects going at once. So, we'll have one group focusing on the charmed items, and another on armor. Those two will work closely with each other, in the hopes we can combine the two into one. Also, we should have another group look into the animagus process. We all know the end result, but I doubt many of us know how to get there.

Then there is another organizational point I'd like to discuss. Should the time come where we need to go into battle, I think we should have specialized units. It'll do us no good to all have the same strengths and weaknesses. That'll make us too easy to defeat. So, we were thinking of having about a dozen of the best flyers form a sort of air force, and train mainly in aerial combat."

Harry had not discussed this idea with anyone other than Hermione, so he was pleased when he saw Draco give a fist pump in triumph as Harry mentioned the air force. Draco had always had a love of flying.

"Also, in the same vein as having some surprises up our sleeves, we thought it would be best to train a unit in swordplay," Hermione said next. This earned a round of skeptical murmurs. One voice broke through the rest to voice those skepticisms.

"And what good will swords be against magic?" it asked.

"Well, we've been told it is possible to combine a wand and a sword into one, so you can use the sword as a wand, should the need arise. The main reason would be to give us an advantage in close quarters fighting. When you're within a foot or two of a Death Eater, odds are you won't have as much opportunity to cast a spell as you would otherwise."

"And then our last idea," Hermione interjected, "was to have a group focus on using muggle guns. There is no magical defense against the physical projectile they used, at least no shield charm will stop a bullet," she added quickly, trying to make it seem futile to try to stop a bullet. It would do no good to try and give Ginny any ideas.

A murmur rose from the group again, and Harry moved to quell it. "Now, we've got the group ideas, as well as the two projects for shield charmed items and armor. Neville, I think you should lead the group looking into the shield items, while Ginny should work with the group on the armor." Harry knew full well that nothing Ginny could do could compromise the protective qualities of basilisk hide, so he wasn't afraid of putting her on that task. It was also something that seemed important, but was less so than other positions within the Order.

"So the next order of business," Harry continued, "is to break into groups for the specialized units. Draco, I think you should be in charge of the air force." Draco's face lit up and he went to stand alone in an open area. "Dan, I think you would be best for the gun-trained group," Harry said.

"And why would that be, Harry?" Dan asked suspiciously.

Harry's face flushed. "I, um, just think that you have the, um, personality, erm, skills for it," he said nervously. He had no clue if Dan knew how to use a gun, but based on the conversations between the two over the years, Harry had no doubt he did. Dan nodded with a knowing smile and walked over to another empty area to await his new charges. "Now we just need to find someone to lead the group with swords," Harry said.

Hermione leaned over to her husband and whispered in his ear. "How about you, Harry?" Harry looked at her strangely. "You killed the basilisk before with a sword, so at least you know how to handle one."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can teach _them_ how to use one. I just used it out of necessity, doing whatever it took to stay alive. I really don't think I'm the best one for the job."

"Fine," Hermione said exasperatedly. "I bet Moody knows a thing or two about swordplay." She gave Harry her best disappointed look.

Harry knew that look instantly, and immediately regretted not jumping at the chance. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll do it." Harry knew it was impossible to fight against Hermione when she got her mind set on something.

Hermione smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Harry then walked to another empty area. "Alright," he said so that everyone could hear, "let's split up into groups. You can choose your group at first, but if your performance is not up to par, you may be moved to another unit. So, go and find the group you'd most like to be a part of and we'll go from there."

The nearly three dozen members of the Order of the Gold Cross dispersed quite evenly, to Harry and Hermione's surprise, so that each of the three groups had about the same number of members, with Harry's having eleven to the others' twelve. The four Weasleys in the Order, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George, all went to Draco's air force, while Neville, surprisingly, went for Harry's sword based group. Luna Lovegood decided to try out Dan's 'gunslinger' group, as he was starting to call it, as had Emma.

Hermione quickly wrote down who had joined which group, so that it would be easier to sort them later. After she was done, Harry spoke.

"Now, in addition to training in our little groups, each training session will include time with everyone that we will use for magical training. It does no good to focus on one area of fighting, while completely ignoring the most important one for us. Last but not least, we need to split up into two groups to work on the shield devices and armor. I think we should just split down the middle, so my unit and half of Dan's will work with Neville, while the other half of Dan's group, as well as Draco's, will work with Ginny. Any questions?" No hands were lifted, nor voices raised. "Great, then we'll practice again soon. Keep an eye on your galleons."

With that, the Order of the Gold Cross dispersed, apparating and portkeying back to their homes. Some of the members used the floo in Potter Manor, as they were neither of age to apparate, nor did they possess a portkey.

Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the day whiling away the hours with each other. They were content to know they had put a plan into motion that would allow them to possibly have the upper hand in a confrontation with Voldemort.

* * *

The next day, Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Dan took a trip to Diagon Alley to do a little shopping. They left Elizabeth in the care of Emma back at Potter Manor. Their first stop was Quality Quidditch Supplies, to buy a dozen brooms for the Order.

Since Draco was the de facto leader of the Order's air force, he was given first choice on the type of broom. Of course, since Harry was bankrolling the entire shopping trip, he had a say in how much was spent. As a result, Draco was immediately denied Firebolts for his entire team, but he and Harry instead compromised on Nimbus 2001s for everyone. Harry did splurge and buy a Firebolt for Draco, however. As captain of the air forces, he would be allowed to have the best broom. At the same time, Harry finally bought himself his own Firebolt. He had never kept the one that had portkeyed him to the graveyard, and he intended to give his Nimbus 2000 to Elizabeth.

Their next stop was at Harrison and Sons blacksmith shop. The bell over the door rang as the four entered, and the smell of fire immediately penetrated their noses. A burly man covered in soot looked up at them from behind the counter as they entered.

"Whatcha need, guvna?" he drawled. Dan, Hermione, and Harry chuckled. He talked just like a Victorian-era street peddler.

Harry stepped forward. "We're looking to buy twelve swords that can also be used as wands. You do sell those, don't you?"

"Aye. But they'll cost yer a pretty penny, they will. Yous also gots to get it clear wit the Ministry to buy so many."

Harry rolled his eyes before he pulled out his wand. He waved in front of the blacksmith's face. "Confundus." Immediately, the blacksmith had a lost look on his face. "These are not the droids you're looking for. Oh, wait. Wrong line," Harry remembered. "You will sell us twelve swords, no questions asked."

Harry received a nod in response. "Come back in two hours and they'll be ready," the blacksmith said in a more normal accent, apparently still under Harry's influence.

The four left the shop and took deep breaths of fresh air as they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. After greeting Tom, the bartender, they exited the pub into London. Dan, having been grilled by Harry, had admitted to owning a guns himself, but while he knew where to buy one, he also knew that it was almost impossible to buy a large quantity of firearms in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the four found a quiet area, and Harry and Hermione apparated Dan and Draco to New York City, as they had already been there before. They walked around for what seemed like almost an hour, before the four stopped at a shop named Randall & Heins.

Dan and Harry had discussed what kind of guns they would want for the order. In the end, they had decided to go with two very different kinds. All twelve members of Dan's team, in addition to Dan, would carry handguns at all times. But they would also be trained in using sniper rifles as well, just in case they were needed.

Harry heard a digitized beep as each of the three Potters and the lone Granger entered the shop. An older, white-haired man, dressed in a sharp business suit greeted them.

"Hello," he said pleasantly. "What can I do for you today?"

Dan, being the one experienced in this area, took the lead. "We need to buy thirteen handguns and, what was it we agreed to? Ah, six long-range sniper rifles."

The proprietor, whose nametag said 'Mr. Randall,' looked at Dan, and then at Draco, Harry, and finally Hermione, with suspicion in his eyes. "A purchase that large has to be cleared with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms," he said slowly.

Harry reached into his pocket again for his wand, but Dan stayed his hand. "No, Harry. Allow me." Dan pulled out his wand and cast the confundus charm on Mr. Randall. After a moment, the shop owner shook his head in confusion and looked at Dan curiously.

"I'm sorry. I must have lost my train of thought. Where was I?"

Dan gave him a smile of fake understanding. "We had just shown you our approval from the ATF to make a bulk arms purchase," Dan explained patiently.

The rest of the visit went smoothly, and the shop owner made no qualms about their purchase any more. Harry did feel a bit guilty, taking advantage of a person's mind like they had, but he let it slide with a shrug. It was all for the best, he rationalized. Harry shrank the guns as well as the ammunition they had purchased, and put them in his pockets as they left. He had used his Gringott's debit card to pay for the hefty price tag. The entire trip to the gun shop had taken just under an hour, so the four made the return trip to Diagon Alley to pick up the blades.

They reentered the blacksmith's shop, and the same large man who had greeted them before was waiting for them. He went on to explain that each of the swords was charmed to magically adjust themselves to their wielder. It would, in essence, take on the traits of the user's perfect wand. But once a sword was adjusted to the user, it could not be changed. Harry also bought a dozen scabbards for the swords, ones that acted similarly to his and Hermione's wand holsters. They turned invisible when worn, and prevented the summoning of the weapon they held.

Finally, with their pockets full of their new war paraphernalia, but the Potter vault much emptier, the three Potters along with Dan returned to Potter Manor. As they entered the mansion, Emma looked up from a muggle magazine she and Elizabeth were reading.

"Back already? Did you get all the fun guy toys you wanted?" she asked with a grin.

"Honestly, mum. I'm not a guy!" Hermione objected.

"Well, at least today you were one of them," Emma retorted. "You helped them get all their manly things like guns and swords. What else did you expect?" Hermione just rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile, Harry, Dan, and Draco were running upstairs like giddy schoolgirls to play with their new toys. But then a semblance of common sense kicked in, and they realized that the guns and swords were not the safest things to be playing with. After a moment, they all realized that they still had the brooms, so they resumed their giddiness and took out one of the Nimbus 2001s to 'test' fly. Draco and Harry took their Firebolts instead. It took Dobby magically forcing the brooms down that night to get the guys inside for dinner.

* * *

The next few lazy days of summer passed uneventfully, with the denizens of Potter Manor accomplishing next to nothing. Dumbledore had brought Minerva to meet Elizabeth, and the Transfiguration professor immediately fell in love with her new granddaughter.

Nearly a week after their shopping excursion, Hermione once again summoned the Order of the Gold Cross to Potter Manor. It was time to begin their training in their select groups.

It took just over fifteen minutes for all members of the Order to arrive, which wasn't unexpected. Not everyone could be expected to drop what they were doing immediately and travel to someone else's house. Harry opened the training session with a simple dueling practice time with the entire Order. Everyone, besides Harry and Hermione, broke up into pairs and began to duel each other. Harry and Hermione would walk around and critique them, just as they usually did in class.

After a half hour of this warming up, Harry dismissed the various groups to meet with their team leaders and practice as a unit. Hermione had decided to stick with Harry, and joined his sword-wielding band. Harry had chosen a small, hill-like area of the grounds of Potter Manor for the training. He had laid out the dozen swords in a row on the ground.

When everyone was assembled, he took center stage. Dumbledore had not given Harry access to the Sword of Gryffindor yet, even though he promised he would soon. Dumbledore said something about the Sorting Hat only releasing the sword in a time of need, in a manner similar to the Room of Requirement. As a result, Harry had to teach by word, and assist in whatever way he could during the actual practice. He had transfigured a tree branch into a rudimentary practice sword that would be used for demonstration purposes, but he would wait for the Sword of Gryffindor as his real blade.

"Alright, so we're gonna learn how to use these swords in battle," Harry began with no fanfare. "And we're gonna learn together, at that. I have some experience, but this will be a learning experience for me as well. Now, I went out and bought some swords to use. Each of you will get your own to keep, along with its sheath. Neville, why don't you come up here and help me with this?"

Neville Longbottom stepped forward hesitantly. Harry motioned for him to pick up one of the swords, and he complied. As he held it, the sword glowed red for a moment, and Neville let out a surprised yelp, dropping the sword. He rubbed his hand in pain, glaring at the sword on the ground. Harry just chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's not cursed. It just figured out what kind of wand you use, so that it could match it, that's all," Harry explained. Cautiously, Neville picked the blade up again. He twisted it in the air, admiring its craftsmanship.

"Neville, just to test it, try using the sword as a wand," Harry requested, just as curious about the finer points of the swords as the next person. Harry stood back to give Neville some room.

Neville gave the sword a swish and flick, incanting, "Wingardium Leviosa." Unexpectedly, Harry began to rise into the air, guided by Neville's sword.

"Um, Neville," Harry said nervously, "this isn't exactly what I had in mind." He continued to float in the air as Neville frantically tried to figure out what to do without causing Harry to fall to the ground. Hermione, seeing his plight, came over and helpfully guided the sword down slowly, allowing Harry to safely descend.

One he had his feet firmly back on the ground, Harry turned back to the embarrassed Neville. He ignored what had just happened, to try and spare the young man's pride.

"So it looks like the swords can work as wands," Harry observed. He spotted a moderate size rock on the ground. "Neville, just for kicks and giggles, why don't you try to levitate that rock without the wand movement? I'm just curious to see if the swords work any differently from wands."

Neville incanted the same spell again, this time keeping the sword still. The rock rose more slowly, but rose nonetheless.

"Great, Neville. Well done. I have a hunch that with more practice, we'll each get better at using the swords for magic. So why don't each of you choose one of the swords for your own and take a few minutes to get used to their feel?"

Harry stood back as the other twelve members of his group stepped forward to claim their newest weapon. While they were adjusting to the swords and the swords to them, Harry transfigured several rocks he found strewn on the ground into sparring dummies. They weren't meant to attack back, at least not today, but they would serve as targets quite well.

After a few minutes, Harry had the group train on the dummies. He had placed them far enough apart to keep everyone separate, but just to be on the safe side, he had also put cushioning charms on the blades as well. He didn't want anyone hurting themselves.

All the while, while Harry's group was training, Harry was keeping his eye on Draco's team. More specifically, Harry was watching Ginny Weasley. They couldn't exclude her so much as to make her suspicious, so they had allowed her to become part of one of the units. Neither Harry or Hermione had told Draco about their suspicions until they had firm proof either. Making eye contact with Draco, Harry turned back to his pupils and began to teach them some of the more basic moves he had used in the Chamber of Secrets.

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. Since none of those in the Order of the Gold Cross had likely ever used a sword before, Harry was having to teach from the very beginning. However, he actually appreciated this fact, as it gave him time to re-teach himself, as it had been years since he had touched a blade.

Meanwhile, in Draco's group, the leader there was having a much easier time explaining the finer points of flying than Harry was at swordplay. Every person in his group, as well as the Order, had taken flying lessons in their first year at Hogwarts. In addition, they had had some basic training in aerial combat in one of the previous Order meetings. As a result, Draco had decided to focus more on aerial strategy and tactics, rather than teaching. He had come up with a few ideas for formations and maneuvers, but also opened it up for suggestions from the rest of his team.

Dan, on the other hand, was having a blast teaching his gunslingers the finer points of wielding a gun. He had spent several years in the British Army in his youth, so he had a fair idea of how to properly handle and discharge a firearm.

He, like Harry, had laid out all of the weapons in a line on the ground. Unlike Harry, however, Dan had taken the time to post targets on trees in the distance prior to the meeting, for target practice. He had also set up some targets for pistol practice as well. Both sets of targets were made to look like the outline of a human body, just like those used in police academies.

"Okay," he began, getting everyone's attention. "Now, you're all well aware of how to fight in the magical world. But you wouldn't last two seconds in a battle in the non-magical world if you didn't have your wands. We're here to fix that. Before you ask, yes, you will still keep your wands. But what we're counting on is that Voldemort's forces won't have any idea what to do against muggle weapons."

Dan motioned with his foot at the row of pistols on the ground. "First off, everyone here gets their own pistol. Those are the smaller guns. These are mainly for use in close quarters and at a distance of a few dozen feet. Anything more than that and you lose accuracy and it isn't worth the shot."

He then pointed at the six sniper rifles. "These are sniper rifles, and they're good for long distances. There are only six of them and twelve of you, since we will be working in teams of two for each one. When working with the sniper rifles, we will have one person on the gun at all times, while another will serve as a spotter, with a pair of binoculars, searching for the next target. Any questions so far?"

One student raised his hand, and Dan called on him. "Um, how do they work?" he asked.

Dan laughed lightly at the question. "I guess I forgot that, didn't I. Since muggles don't have magic, they have to rely on the next best thing: science. Guns work by firing a sold projectile using a chemical explosion, to put it simply. Unlike a spell, which for the most part dissipates once it makes contact with the victim, a bullet pierces the skin and lodges itself inside the victim, or it can also explode outward from the body as well. Now, why don't you all choose your own gun. They come complete with a holster, which has been charmed to remain invisible when worn."

He waited a minute while the pistols were quickly snapped up. Luna Lovegood took a moment to inspect each and every one of the identical guns before she settled on one she liked.

"Good, now let's take a few minutes to practice on these targets," Dan instructed, pointing to the closer set. "Each of your guns has a switch on it that, when on, prevents it from firing. This is called the safety. When you are ready to fire, switch it off. Go ahead and do that now, but don't touch anything else yet." He waited while everyone released the safety on their guns.

"Now, be very careful. When the safety is off, make sure not to point your gun at any other person. We haven't gotten to the part where we shoot other people yet," Dan joked. "The next thing we're gonna do is chamber a round. That is, get the first bullet ready to fire."

Dan took the last remaining gun from the ground and demonstrated the correct method for chambering a round. He wanted to make sure they knew as much as possible about their guns before they ever fired a shot.

In the end, Dan demonstrated how to chamber, clean, and change the clip on the guns before he ever told them to fire. He made sure to place a small silencing charm around each gun to keep the noise to a minimum.

The gunslingers were enjoying their time so much that they didn't notice how much had passed. Before long, Harry was calling an end to the outdoor training.

"I think that's enough training in our groups for today," Harry said. "But that doesn't mean we're done for the day. We still need to work on our other projects as well. Good thing we have a library here, isn't it, Hermione?" His wife nodded feverishly, agreeing for more than one reason.

Harry led the way to the library inside Potter Manor. When they arrived, the members of the Order went their separate ways, grabbing random books off of the shelf. Harry was astounded that they could be so eager to jump into books during the summer, but less inclined during school. Eventually, two distinct camps were to be found in the library, one for each of the two designated projects.

Harry and Hermione, for their part, spent time looking over the requirements for the animagus transformation. As soon as they sat down, Harry was struck by inspiration.

"Mione, why are we looking in books to find out how to become animagi?" Harry asked.

"Because that's where the information is," Hermione replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, what I mean is, why are we looking in books when we have a better resource."

Suddenly, realization dawned on Hermione, and she and Harry quickly left the library for the sitting room. They returned several minutes later with Sirius Black in tow.

Draco looked up from a book on the traits of various armor when the three walked into the room. "Merlin, Harry. We thought two professors was bad enough, but now you had to go bring in a third?"

"Oh, just shut it will you, Draco?" Harry asked. "Professor Black-"

"Harry, its summer. Call me Sirius. Otherwise you make me feel so old," Sirius said.

"Well, you are old enough to be my father," Harry replied cheekily.

"Keep that up and I'll make sure you end up as a butterfly or something," Sirius responded, knowing full well he couldn't influence any part of the transformation.

"As I was saying," Harry said, throwing a mock glare at Sirius, "Sirius is here to help us with the animagus transformation. He has some…special knowledge about the process, and has agreed to give us some pointers."

Sirius took Harry's cue to speak. "First thing, before we go any further, I just want to stress how difficult this whole process is. You can't just go into it thinking 'Oh, it'll be easy! I'll be able to transform by this time tomorrow!' Wrong. When I…erm…my friends went through the process, it took over a year. The basic premise isn't too different than regular transfiguration," Sirius explained. "The easiest way to do it is to take the animagus revealing potion, which will lull you into a trance where you meet your animagus form. From there, you must concentrate on transfiguring one portion of your body at a time into that form. The potion will also help in this regard.

It takes patience. You cannot use your wand for these transfigurations, which is what makes them so difficult. The goal is to get your body used to transforming, one part at a time. Eventually, if you practice enough, you will be able to transfigure your entire body at once."

"What's to stop us from transfiguring ourselves into something other than the form we see?" someone asked from one of the tables.

"Good question," Sirius replied. "Basically, by nature, your body will only be able to transform itself into one form. In other words, you may try to transfigure yourself into something else, but your body has already decided what your form is to be, and will only allow to you transform into that form."

This whole concept suddenly brought back Harry's memory of when the fake Mad-Eye Moody transformed Draco into a ferret. "But couldn't somebody else transfigure you into another form?" he asked Sirius.

"Yeah, but something like that requires constant focus and an unbroken magical connection to maintain. The other person would have to be serving only one purpose: to keep you in that form. For that reason, it really isn't practical."

Hermione was the next to speak. "So, how long does the potion take to brew?" she asked.

"About three weeks," Sirius replied. "While I don't 'officially' condone helping you become animagi, as potions professor, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of my students." He stopped and gave a mischievous grin. "Therefore, I will brew the potion and will have it to you as soon as its done. Until then, I suggest you don't do anything about the whole animagus thing. Just work on whatever you're working on until I bring the potion. Then I'll help oversee the process."

Sirius stayed for another few minutes before he returned to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Meanwhile, the Order remained in the library researching. It wasn't long before a shriek arose from Luna, causing Harry and Hermione to laugh. They weren't used to outbursts like that coming from her.

The two professors gathered around the Ravenclaw to see what she had found. Hermione silently read the open page in the dusty tome on the table before summarizing it for everyone else.

"Basically, back in the middle ages, magical knights would enchant their armor to contain a shield charm, just like we want to do now. Somehow, the technique fell out of favor due to its difficulty, and was eventually forgotten and lost to time. It says here that it took a combination of some sort of magical storage, as well as the shield charm and a proximity ward to make it work. So, we just need to find a way to store a magical charge, and the rest should be pretty easy."

As Hermione finished speaking, Harry looked at the large clock on the wall to find that the meeting with the Order had been going on for over three hours. "I think that's enough for today," he said. "Next time, we'll get to work on putting together our new armor. We have the base armor to work with, we just need to start charming them. Thanks for coming, everyone."

* * *

The next three weeks passed in a similar manner. Every three or four days, the Order of the Gold Cross would be summoned to Potter Manor for a few hours of training. Harry and Hermione made sure to keep an eye on Ginny Weasley, but so far she wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.

Little progress was made on the shield charmed items, however. No matter what book they looked in, none of the Order could find any way to store a magical charge like a battery. They had found a handful of references to such storage units, but had so far found nothing on how to make one. At the same time, however, Ginny's team had worked on the design for the Order uniforms, as they were now considered, which were made up of white basilisk hide pants and jumpers, with a hood that formed a mask over their faces. On the breast of each uniform was a simple gold cross, about six inches tall, to designate their group.

Three weeks after his initial visit, Sirius sent word to Harry and Hermione that the animagus potion was done, and that he could bring it over as soon as needed. He had made enough for all members of the Order, in addition to Harry and Hermione, and they had agreed to have him bring it over later that day.

So, using the charmed galleons once again, the Order of the Gold Cross was asked to come to Potter Manor. While they were waiting for their arrival, Harry went to use the floo in the sitting room.

"Minerva Dumbledore!" he called into the fire and stuck his head in. A moment later, his vision cleared to reveal the Transfiguration Professor's office.

"Harry," she greeted him, looking up from her desk. "What can I do for you during the summer?"

"Well, you know about our little…extracurricular study group, right?" he asked. Minerva nodded. "We're kinda working on a little project…actually a pretty big one. One that you would know all about."

"Just spit it out, Mr. Potter," Minerva said in her teacher's voice. Harry shuddered for a second.

"Fine. We're going to attempt the animagus transformation process. I was wondering if you could give us a hand. We've already enlisted the help of Sirius, and he brewed the potion for us, but your expertise would be invaluable as well." Harry was trying to butter her up a bit.

The Professor appeared to think it over for a moment. "So you're saying that you are attempting an extremely dangerous and advanced process with a bunch of students, with an overgrown hooligan as your source of information? I can't allow that. I'll be there in a minute." With a wave of her wand, Harry's vision clouded, indicating the call was over. He pulled his head back out of the fireplace and waited on one of the couches.

A few moments later, the floo flared to life, and Minerva Dumbledore strode out. Almost as soon as she cleared the fireplace, it roared to life again, this time depositing the form of Sirius Black, who was carrying a large box. Harry led the two outside where Hermione was waiting with the members of the Order who had arrived while Harry was indisposed.

As Draco saw Harry and his guests arrived, he decided he had had enough. "Alright, Harry, this has gone far enough. I sat back while you brought another Professor into the mix before, but here you are brining another one? When will it end? When the entire Hogwarts faculty is here?"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Draco, that joke got old right after the first time you used it. Come up with some new material," she admonished. Draco rolled his eyes and didn't say another word.

"Now that that's over with," Harry began, "I brought Professor Dumbledore here to help us with the animagus process. Most of you know that she is a registered animagus." At this, Minerva transformed into her tabby cat form for a moment before returning to her human form.

"That's what we're shooting for," Harry said. "Now, Sirius here brought the potion he was so kind as to brew…"

"Oh, come off of it, Harry. What else would I do during the summer? In case you haven't noticed, I live alone, with a demented house-elf, doing absolutely nothing," Sirius said good naturedly.

Harry turned to him. "You could try to track down a lady friend," he whispered. Sirius turned red at this. "Oh? Not what you're into? I guess you could try to find some companionship of another kind…"

"Okay, that's enough Harry!" Sirius commanded, his face flushed. Harry broke down laughing at Sirius's predicament, and it took him a minute to calm down to address his troops again.

"Anyway, as I was saying," he said after he had regained his composure, "we have the animagus revealing potion ready, so we'll pass out a vial to each of you. Wait to drink it until we all have one."

Sirius opened the box he had brought with him to reveal a number of individual-sized vials of a blue liquid. He passed one out to each of the members of the Order, as well as Harry and Hermione. As he did so, he explained what would happen.

"Now, when you drink this, you will fall into a trance, where you meet your animal form," he explained. "But I've already told you that. What I didn't tell you, is that in this trance, you may lose your balance and fall. To prevent that, I suggest you each lie down on the ground as soon as you finish drinking. It takes about ten seconds for the potion to kick in. It will last only a few minutes before the effects wear off, so make sure to get a good look at your form."

Once all the members had their vials, Harry gave a curt nod, and all drank the small amount of potion. Quickly, all three dozen members of the Order laid down on the ground. As soon as he was completely flat, Harry's vision began to swim, eventually turning gray, and then black.

The next thing he saw, he was on the African savannah, or at least it looked like it. Dried, golden grass covered the ground, and the occasional tree could be seen every now and then. The sky was a brilliant blue, untarnished by pollution, and there was a series of mountains set against it on the horizon.

As Harry turned around to take in his surroundings, he found himself face to face with a large male lion. At first, he made a move to flee, but as he saw the lion give no indication of wanting to harm him, he remained where he was. Slowly, he reached out to touch the creature, and before long, he found himself stroking the lion's mane.

Almost on instinct, Harry found himself admiring the beast and its powerful body. He carefully pet it as he walked around it, committing every detail to memory. Suddenly, his vision again began to swim, and the image of the African landscape faded to black. Before Harry knew it, he found himself laying on the grounds of Potter Manor once again.

Harry sat up to see Hermione next to him, also recovering from the effects of the potion. He waited a moment until they were both lucid before he spoke. "So, what form are you?" he asked her.

"I'm an eagle, Harry," she said excitedly. "It was so beautiful, so majestic," she added dreamily.

"But you hate flying," Harry objected.

"Not hate…well, yeah, hate. But I guess I'll have to get used to it more now, won't I? What about you?"

"A lion. A large, African lion," he said.

"That's perfect for you, Harry. You're the heir to Gryffindor, a house where the lion is the mascot."

"Yeah, and you're an eagle. That makes sense, since you're the magical heir to Ravenclaw, whose house is represented by the eagle," Harry added. He stood up and helped Hermione up as well. The two walked over to where Dan and Emma were sitting.

Dan looked up from his wife as his daughter and son-in-law approached. "Hey, what'd you two get? I saw a black bear, while Emma says she saw a cheetah."

"Lion and Eagle," Harry said simply, pointing at himself then at Hermione. As they continued to make their rounds, they found that Draco had the form of a snake, which Harry thought was ironic, while Ginny had turned out to be a cow, a thought that she was visibly unhappy with. Ron Weasley was, funnily enough, a weasel, while Luna Lovegood claimed her form was a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. When pressed to describe the creature, Luna donned a dazed expression and simply said how beautiful it was.

After allowing a few minutes of discussion amongst the Order, Harry turned the floor over to Minerva. She cleared her throat and began to lecture.

"Now that you know your forms, the hard part of the process begins," she warned. "We will now practice transfiguring parts of your body into your animal form. The easiest place to start is your arm. Concentrate on your arm and visualize it looking like your animal form. At the same time, you must try to channel your magic into that part of your body, but this entire process must be done without a wand."

She watched as each and every member of the Order of the Gold Cross placed their arms in front of their faces and stared at them intently. There were a number of faces that were beet red with concentration, while others will filled with disappointment as they didn't accomplish anything. As she watched, Minerva offered some reassuring words.

"Don't expect to be able to accomplish anything today. This is the longest and most difficult part of the entire animagus process. It has been known to thwart the best efforts of even the most powerful witches and wizards, so do not be discouraged at your lack of progress."

In the end, nobody managed to transform their arm that day. The Order was dismissed with instructions to keep practicing. Since no wand was used, the Ministry couldn't track an animagus transformation as part of the underage magic restriction.

* * *

The next week was the week of August 6, 1995, but more importantly, it was the week of Harry and Hermione's first anniversary. Harry had secretly had Dobby clean up and prepare the house at Godric's Hollow, so that he and Hermione could spend the day and night there.

Harry awoke earlier than his wife on their anniversary and snuck downstairs. He took some time to prepare a breakfast of pancakes, strawberries, and cream for Hermione, which was her favorite. He then tiptoed back upstairs, the meal carried on a tray, and into their room. Hermione was just beginning to stir as Harry closed the door behind himself.

"Morning, love," he said softly, sitting down on the bed next to her with the tray on his lap.

Hermione groaned groggily before her eyes fluttered open. "Morning," she said quietly.

"I thought you might like some pancakes," Harry said simply. Hermione sat up against the headboard and Harry placed the tray on her lap. He then planted a kiss on her lips. "Happy anniversary," he added before getting up and going to his side of the bed. He sat down next to Hermione and the two cuddled up to each other to share breakfast.

After a light lunch later in the day, Harry asked Hermione to pack up a change of clothes and meet him downstairs. While he was waiting for her, he sat in the kitchen with Dan, Emma, and Elizabeth.

"Now, Liz, I want you to behave yourself for grandma and grandpa," Harry instructed. Dan glared at him over the top of the Daily Prophet.

"Harry, you do realize that I'm only thirty seven, yet you're making me into a grandfather already. Do I look like I'm going gray to you?"

"Not going gray, but balding, definitely," Harry replied cheekily. Dan smacked Harry with the paper in response. "Anyway, Liz, your mum and I are going away overnight, so I want you on your best behavior. Your birthday is in less than two weeks, so don't think I won't remember if you misbehave."

Harry's rant was interrupted by Hermione entering the kitchen, overnight bag in tow. "Alright, Harry. Would you mind telling me where we're going?"

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and into the foyer, where his bag was waiting. "Not yet," he said mysteriously. "Come on." Harry picked up his bag and led Hermione outside. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he grabbed Hermione's hand again and pulled out his wand and touched it to his pendant. "Godric's Hollow," he muttered under his breath so Hermione couldn't hear him.

The two appeared with a soft pop in front of a quaint little one level cottage. The house was painted a light yellow, with white trim, and was surrounded by a white fence. From the looks of it, the house sat on several acres of land, but most of it was behind the house.

Harry led Hermione into the cottage, their luggage levitated behind them. The first room they found themselves in was a living room. A couch and two recliners sat on the aged wood floors that seemed to extend throughout the house. They could also see right into the small kitchen and informal dining area from the living room.

A hall extended off one of the walls in the living room, and peering down it, Harry and Hermione saw three doors. They opened the first one to see a simple bathroom, while the second revealed the master bedroom. The two deposited their bags before opening the third door. Inside, they found a baby-blue room decorated like a nursery. There was a crib with a mobile hanging over it, along with a changing table on one wall.

Harry froze as he saw the crib and the toys still inside it. It looked as though the occupants of the house had been there that morning, and had simply left for the day. Hermione wrapped her arms around her husband as his eyes began to water at the sight of his room as a baby.

The two stood there for several minutes before Harry spoke. "When I planned for us to come here, it didn't even occur to me that this is where they died," he said softly. "I can still remember the green light from the killing curse. It was right here," Harry said, pointing near the crib. "I feel like I'm desecrating their graves coming here for my anniversary."

Hermione cupped Harry's cheek and turned him to face her. "No, you aren't desecrating anyone's grave. Do you think your parents would have wanted you to leave the house sealed up, never setting foot inside of it?" she asked caringly. "Of course not. They lived in this house, and I would think that's what they would want from you as well." Harry took one last look at the room before they left and closed the door behind them.

The two walked into the master bedroom and sat down on the bed. "Harry, I've never seen you grieve over them. So cry. Let it out. But don't feel sorry for yourself; there was nothing you could have done. Your parents wouldn't have wanted you to wallow in sadness and let that stop you from living."

The two sat there in silence for what seemed like hours, with Hermione holding Harry's crying form in comfort. As the shadows from the window grew long, Harry suddenly stopped crying. He looked at the clock to see that it was past four in the afternoon.

"Thanks, Mione, for everything," he said sincerely, looking her in the eyes.

"Harry, you don't have to thank me for any-" she started, but was cut off.

"Yes I do. You've been there for me at every turn, even when others were against me. But I've never thanked you for it. You have been my guide and my conscience, you have steered me through troubled waters, and helped me in dark times. You have no idea what you mean to me." He pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I love you so much."

Now it was Hermione's turn to cry. Nobody had ever talked to her that way, in any life. She had been married to Ron before, but he had never bared his soul the way Harry just had.

"Oh, Harry," she whispered. "You'll never have to thank me for anything. No matter what, I'll always be there. I love you too."

Harry held Hermione like that until her breaths became regular, and she fell asleep. He gently laid her down on the bed and stood up to leave the room. Harry had given Dobby instructions to have certain foods and ingredients ready at the cottage for when they arrived, so that Harry could prepare dinner. He pulled out freshly frozen chicken breast and began to cook that first, as it would take the longest to prepare.

An hour later, Harry walked into the master bedroom and gently shook Hermione awake. "Hey, Mione, its time for dinner," he whispered in her ear. She slowly woke up and he guided her tired form from the bed, taking care not to laugh at the extreme case of bed-head she was sporting.

Walking into the dining area, Hermione found herself in front of a steaming pot of chicken alfredo, along with an assortment of side dishes. She looked at Harry contentedly, who just beamed proudly at her, before he pulled out a chair for her.

After their meal, Harry led Hermione into the living room, where the two sat, with Hermione's head resting on Harry's lap. Harry took this opportunity to reach into his pocket and pull out the small box he had gotten from Tiffany's in New York.

"Hey," he said, breaking the silence. "I got something for you." He handed the box to Hermione, who opened it with wide eyes. The light from the setting sun reflected off of the glittering diamonds and rubies of the earrings.

"Harry, you didn't…" Hermione trailed off.

"Of course I did. I saw how you looked at them, and when I saw them, I knew they would be perfect for you."

"But they were so expensive-" Harry put his finger on her lips.

"Money means nothing compared to you and your happiness, Hermione. I could tell you wanted them, and I want you to have them. You deserve to have the best."

"But what about you, Harry?" she asked.

Harry looked at her and smiled. "I already have the best. I have you."

At this, Hermione sat up and grabbed Harry's hand. She pulled him down the hall and into the master bedroom, closing the door behind them. The door didn't open again until the next morning.

* * *

Less than two weeks later, August 17 arrived, and with it, Elizabeth Potter's eleventh birthday. Harry and Hermione wanted to give her a fun time, so they had invited their friends, including the Dumbledores, Remus, Sirius, and Hagrid, who Elizabeth had not met yet. They had also decorated the downstairs of Potter Manor with streamers and balloons, for a traditional muggle birthday.

Harry and Hermione, along with Dan, Emma, and Draco, made sure to wake up extra early, so as to beat Elizabeth downstairs. She was a notorious early riser, and was quite often the first one up.

The five waited in the kitchen for Elizabeth to show up. Finally, at just about six thirty, she ambled into the kitchen, half asleep. However, that was not to last long, as she was jolted awake by five voices, plus Dobby, yelling "Happy Birthday!"

Harry raced over and gave her a hug and kiss on the top of her head, before allowing the others to have their chance with the birthday girl. Dobby had helped prepare a breakfast consisting of waffles, and Harry was silently glad that Dumbledore was not there for breakfast, as he would not have left any for the rest of them.

At just after noon, guests began to arrive, and by twelve thirty, all of the invited guests had turned up at Potter Manor. Pleasantries were exchanged all around, and Elizabeth was introduced to Hagrid for the first time. At first, she seemed a bit intimidated by his hulking figure, but as soon as he spoke, she was immediately put at ease.

After chatting for a while and enjoying the cake that Emma had made from scratch, the group retired to the family room to open gifts. Hagrid gave his first.

Elizabeth ripped the paper off of the package to find a tin of Hagrid's rock cakes. She looked at Harry quizzically. He immediately knew what to do.

"Oh, Hagrid! How thoughtful," he said with forced enthusiasm. "Hermione, why don't you put these in the closet so we don't lose them?" Hermione nodded feverishly and took the cakes. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to them until we're ready to eat them," Harry explained to the beaming Hagrid.

Other gifts were given, with the Dumbledores holding back on their gift until the very end. They had discussed what they were going to give, and Harry and Hermione had immediately agreed. Normally, they would have wanted to go last, but considering the circumstances, they felt that going second to the last would be fine.

Finally, it came time for Harry and Hermione to give their gifts to their daughter. Harry pulled out a long package first. "Now, we got you two gifts. One is from me, since your mother doesn't approve of the idea." Harry shot Hermione a light glare as he finished his sentence. "The other is from both of us. Why don't you open the one from me first?" He handed the package to Elizabeth.

She tore off the wrapping to reveal Harry's old Nimbus 2000. Harry explained the significance to her. "This was my first broom, and I want you to have it. I think it's high time you learned how to fly, young lady." Elizabeth gave her father a huge smile accompanied by a tight hug.

"Thanks, daddy," she said sincerely. She had expressed an interest on a few occasions in learning how to fly, much to Hermione's dismay, and Harry's delight.

Hermione then took the reins from Harry. "Now, our other gift is entirely up to you," she began. "You need to decide if you want it. Your father and I are willing to give you a some of our magic so that you won't feel left out in our house anymore. Also, we want to protect you, and we feel that this is the best way to do that. However," she said, putting up a finger to stay Elizabeth's excitement, "there is pain involved. Ask grandma and grandpa Granger about that. We gave them their magic the same way, and it was very painful at first. We're not asking you to make a decision about it now-"

"Yes!" Elizabeth shrieked. "Why do you even think I would say no?"

"We just wanted you to think it through, sweetheart," Harry explained. "It's a decision that could change your life, and we didn't want you jumping into it without thought." Elizabeth opened her mouth to object. "But," Harry continued, "you're definitely mature enough to make your own decision, and I can't say I wouldn't make the same one as you have."

Elizabeth hugged each of her parents in turn before returning to her seat. "So, when can we do it?" she asked.

Hermione looked at her watch. "We could do it after the party tonight," she posed, looking at Dumbledore, who nodded. "But right now, I think you have another gift to open."

The two Dumbledores smiled at Elizabeth before Albus handed her an envelope. Elizabeth nervously opened it and read it aloud.

"Dear Miss Potter," she began, "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…" she trailed off and looked at her two 'grandparents.' "So I get to go to school with them?" she asked.

Minerva nodded. "Of course. If you're going to have the ability to perform magic, you have to learn how to use it. There's more to the gift as well. Next week, Albus and I will take you to Diagon Alley to buy your supplies. You'll be starting as a first year on September 1."

Elizabeth turned to her parents. "You mean you two are going to be my teachers? That's kinda creepy, actually."

Harry and Hermione chuckled, but Sirius gave a look of mock hurt. "What about your uncle Sirius? I'll be your potions professor!"

"Yeah, well, we try to ignore you as much as possible, Padfoot," Harry interjected. "Wouldn't want you to get a big head or anything."

So that evening, after Remus, Sirius, and Hagrid had left, the Dumbledores, Potters, and Grangers made their way to the library on the second floor of Potter Manor. The Headmaster performed the power transfer ritual the same as with the Grangers, except for this time, he modified it to take equal amounts of power from both Harry and Hermione. While it didn't affect the end result, it symbolized their joint love for their daughter.

Afterwards, Dumbledore cast the power revealing spell on Elizabeth, who registered with a score of fifty. Harry and Hermione still remained at one hundred and fifty.

Following the ritual, Dumbledore pulled Harry and Hermione aside. "I paid a visit to Ms. Weasley yesterday," he said, "and I used a light legilimency probe on her. I would have thought you two would have taught your Order some occlumency. At any rate, I could not find anything that would suggest she is anything but loyal to our side."

Harry and Hermione were stunned. Their one lead on the traitor had been blown out of the water in a nearly foolproof way, just when they had been so convinced of its validity.

"However," Dumbledore continued, jerking the two Potters out of their stunned stupor, "that does not preclude the possibility that young Ms. Weasley is under the effects of the Imperious curse. We have no way to be certain, as the Imperious curse is notorious for being impossible to detect. That is how so many were able to claim innocence after the fall of Voldemort in the first war. There is also the possibility that there was simply a spy in the United States while you were there, who managed to see you two."

"So we're back to square one," Harry concluded.

"That we are, Harry," Dumbledore sighed, before returning to the others.

After thanking them for their gift one last time, Elizabeth bade the Dumbledores goodnight, and they returned to Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione were left to wonder if the two actually lived somewhere other than at the school.

* * *

A week later, Albus and Minerva Dumbledore arrived at Potter Manor as scheduled to take Elizabeth shopping for her school supplies, and also a possible trip to Hogsmeade, but Albus wouldn't say why. Harry and Hermione had decided not to accompany them, as they thought it would be the perfect time for Elizabeth to bond with her grandparents. The door to Potter Manor opened again several hours later, letting the sounds of an argument into the home.

"You and your blasted sweet tooth!" Minerva was heard exclaiming. Harry and Hermione went to he door to see what the problem was. A smile immediately crept onto their faces as they took in the scene.

On their front porch, Elizabeth stood, surrounded by boxes and bags of supplies, ranging from quills and ink, to potions supplies and a trunk. But behind her, Albus Dumbledore stood with his arms full of bags from Honeydukes in Hogsmeade.

"You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?" Minerva ranted.

"Come now, Minerva. They had so many different items to choose from. I couldn't deny young Elizabeth here," Dumbledore replied.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Don't go bringing me into this," she said.

Dumbledore, in a very uncharacteristic manner, stuck his tongue out at Elizabeth. "Traitor."

Harry and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the older wizard's childish tendencies. They helped haul the purchases into the house, and invited the Dumbledores to stay, but they politely declined. Minerva said something about having to punish Albus for acting like a child.

The next day, while Elizabeth was reading her new textbooks, Dumbledore arrived at Potter Manor with a grave look on his face. Harry and Hermione immediately assumed that the punishment had been taken too far, but they were sadly mistaken.

"I just received word that the Dementors have abandoned Azkaban," he said gravely, sitting down on the couch in the family room. Harry and Hermione's illusions of a peaceful end to their summer came crashing down. "The Ministry believes that they have allied themselves with Voldemort. This morning, a team of Aurors was dispatched to he prison, only to find it completely empty. All inmates had escaped, including the large number of Death Eaters."

"Great," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Not only do we have to worry about a madman and his band of crazed followers, but now he's also got a bunch of demonic soul-sucking things on his side as well. What more could we ask for?"

"While not my exact choice of words, I couldn't agree more, Harry. The Dementor is among the foulest beast to roam the Earth, a beast of unknown origin and vulnerability. Their lone weakness is to a pleasant thought, yes, but no way has been found to kill them. That is what makes this recent development so disturbing."

"But why would the Dementors up and leave Azkaban all of a sudden? And why would they join with Voldemort?" Harry asked. Something wasn't adding up.

"Alas, Harry, we do not know. There are too many pieces missing from the puzzle to get an idea as to what the final image is. Unfortunately, Tom holds all of the missing pieces. I fear that we will be taken unaware at any time, and we will be powerless to stop whatever devious plot Tom has come up with. That is why your work with the Order of the Gold Cross is so imperative. You are preparing for the unexpected. The Order of the Phoenix has been searching for every piece of intelligence we can, but so far we have turned up no clue as to Voldemort's designs."

"Then all we can do is keep preparing," Harry concluded. "To sum up what you are saying, we have no idea where Voldemort's base of operations is, nor do we have any idea what he's up to. With Snape dead, we've lost all contact with Voldemort's inner circle, so we have no intelligence coming from the inside. We're as blind as bats, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Hermione, who had remained silent so far during the conversation, finally spoke up. "We have to find a way to destroy a Dementor," she said. "Or at least try. There has to be some way."

"Unfortunately, Mrs. Potter, I do not believe that there is any Earthly way to kill a Dementor. Now, if you'll excuse me. I only had a few minutes to spare before a meeting with Minister Bones regarding the situation. Apparently, they are dispatching a large number of Aurors to guard Azkaban, and the rest will be assigned to track down and recapture the escaped inmates. Please forgive me for being so brief." Dumbledore nodded curtly and stood up to leave. As he did so, Harry asked one final question.

"Has word reached the public yet?"

"Not yet, Harry," Dumbledore answered succinctly.

"I'll send word to Remus to try and keep it out of the Prophet. But that'll only delay it for a short time. Panic will erupt once word gets out."

"That is what we're afraid of, Harry," Dumbledore said solemnly as he left.

Left alone again, Harry and Hermione sat in silence before Dan and Emma entered the room. "What was that all about?" Emma asked as she sat down.

"There's been a breakout at Azkaban," Harry explained. "The Dementors have abandoned the prison and possibly allied themselves with Voldemort. We need to try and find a more effective way to combat them now."

"We'll help you," Dan said, speaking for both Grangers. "I assume you want to work out of the library?" Hermione nodded. "Then four bodies are better than two. We'll be able to cover twice as much ground. Come on."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Dan was never this enthusiastic about going up to the library. The two Potters followed him and Emma upstairs and into the sizeable library. The next two hours passed silently, with stacks of books growing on several of the tables.

"Here! Look at this!" Hermione exclaimed from behind her fortress of books. Dan, Emma, and Harry rushed over to see what she had discovered. In front of Hermione, an extremely old, dusty tome sat, open to about the halfway point. She summarized the tiny text on the pages.

"Basically, what this is saying is that, according to legend, about a thousand years ago, there was a great battle. Dark forces, led by the Dark Lord Thrayden, opened a portal to the underworld on what was considered to be one of the most magical areas in the world. It was from this portal that the demons of the underworld emerged, taking the form of Dementors. The Dementors were not susceptible to any attack, other than the projection of pleasant thoughts. No spell or curse could destroy them.

An army led by two wizards and two witches of the light battled to stop them. In a battle that lasted for over a month, allegedly, the portal was closed, and the dark forces destroyed. Thrayden was killed in a duel with the most powerful of the wizards, Godric Gryffindor. The Dementors, now trapped in this world, made a pact to guard a prison that was being constructed by the flimsy Council of Wizards, which governed magical Britain at the time.

The end of the battle brought an era of peace, and a great castle was built upon the battlefield, a testament to the peace of the time. The castle was used as a school; Hogwarts. But the legend in this book claims that experimentation had been done on Dementors over the years, at least for the five hundred years until this book was written. Nobody had discovered any way to kill a Dementor, and it was eventually classified as a hopeless pursuit."

The four sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"That's just great," Harry said, irritated. "So there's no way to kill a Dementor. Just wonderful. How are we supposed to fight them then? Our Patroni will only drive them back!"

"I guess that's all we can hope for, Harry," Hermione admitted. "We can't defeat them, but we can push them away. Hopefully, when we defeat Voldemort…_When_, Harry, not _if. _When we defeat Voldemort, they will drop their allegiance to him."

"I think that's too much to hope for," Harry said quietly. Dan and Emma silently agreed. Based on what they had heard about the creatures, they didn't hold out hopes for them switching sides again.

Harry walked over to the window and looked out over the grounds. "So all we can do is play the hand we've been dealt," he said, "and hope and pray that it's enough."

End of Chapter 22

A/N: Thank you to Adran06 for helping with parts of this chapter! And thanks for the reviews. Just a note about those: If you are going to offer criticism, please make it constructive. It doesn't help me if a reviewer criticizes story points without giving helpful suggestions, or other constructive comments. If you dislike part of the story, please give an alternative to what you dislike, or a way to get around that point later in the story. Who knows? It might end up being used later. Also, one other note: waits between chapters may increase a little from here, as school for me is restarting on Monday, and I am taking some strenuous classes. I'll still update as often as possible though. Please review and give hints and comments as needed! This chapter is more about laying the groundwork for some things that are to come later. Thank you!


	23. The March of Darkness

Author's Note: There is one DH spoiler in this chapter, so read at your own risk.

Chapter 23

The March of Darkness

September first arrived with little fanfare in the Potter household, except from young Elizabeth. Harry and Hermione, for the most part, had enjoyed their summer, and were not at all looking forward to the start of a new term. But they grudgingly packed up their things the night before, so that they wouldn't suffer from what they called 'Weasley Syndrome' and rush around in the morning, trying to get everything together.

Harry and Hermione had once again decided to ride the Hogwarts Express, as there was something about the ride that made them sentimental for their younger years. However, they justified it in public by saying they wanted to be there with their daughter during her first trip to the school.

The Potters and Grangers found themselves at the barrier to platform 9 ¾ on the morning of September 1, explaining to Elizabeth what to do.

"Now, just run into the wall," Hermione explained to Elizabeth. The young girl looked at her mother incredulously.

"You've got to be joking me! I'll make an idiot out of myself when I smack into it!"

Harry chuckled. "You know, by know I would have thought you would believe us when it comes to magic," he said. "Not everything is what it appears. Draco?" Draco looked at him. "Would you mind demonstrating?"

Draco nodded and pushed his luggage cart at full speed into the barrier. In an instant, he was gone. Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"He…he just…" she stammered, no coherent thought making it through. Harry put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Now it's your turn," he said to her. She looked up at him and nodded, now knowing what to do. She grabbed her cart tightly, which held her trunks and supplies, and ran at the barrier. Harry could tell she slowed down slightly out of fear just before hitting it, but still made it through unscathed.

Harry and Hermione followed her, trailed by the two Grangers. As they were relatively early, they easily found an empty compartment, and claimed it as their own. Draco had his face plastered against the window, waiting for the Weasleys to come barreling through the barrier. As soon as he saw them, he bolted from the compartment.

Those he left just laughed, they knew they wouldn't see him again until the feast. A few minutes later, the train began to move, slowly at first, but eventually building up steam for the long journey.

Normally, Harry would have spent the trip explaining the various workings of Hogwarts to Elizabeth. But Hermione, ever her bookish self, had read Hogwarts: A History to Elizabeth as a sort of bedtime story, every night since her birthday. So the trip was spent talking about random topics, ranging from what house Elizabeth thought she would be sorted into, to Dan's intent to try out again for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Eventually, Harry dozed off, tired from the fact that Elizabeth had waken them up at just after five that morning. He couldn't figure out what it was about younger kids that gave them boundless energy at such early hours.

Harry Potter awoke hours later to the gentle nudges of his wife. Rubbing his eyes groggily, he saw that it was now night, and the Hogwarts Express was slowing to a stop. As he sat up, Hermione and Elizabeth gave a giggle, while Dan and Emma conveniently didn't look at him. Confused, Harry looked at his reflection in the window to find that his hair on one side was completely flattened, so that it looked like a wall of hair extended four or five inches above the top of his head on his left side. Harry groaned in annoyance.

Thoughtful as always, Hermione tried to spell his hair back to its normal, messy self, only for it not to work. It was almost as if Harry's hair was impervious to any magical modification. Racking her mind, she finally came up with a muggle-style solution.

"Aguamenti," she incanted, her wand pointed at Harry. A jet of water rushed from the tip of her wand and drenched his hair. She then pressed it down, trying to make it look somewhat normal. Satisfied that she had done the best she could, she then used a mild drying charm to get rid of most of the water. In the end, his hair still stood up slightly, but it was much better than before.

By the time they were done being mesmerized by Harry's hair, it was time for the three Potters and two Grangers who were still in the compartment to disembark the train. Harry and Hermione kissed Elizabeth goodbye as they left her with Hagrid and the other first years, before they made their way to the carriages with Dan and Emma. They found they were sharing one with Draco, Ginny, and Ron.

"So, how was your summer, you two?" Harry asked Ginny and Ron, trying to start some light conversation.

"Fine," both Weasleys said at the same time. Harry could tell instantly that the conversation wouldn't get very far. The rest of the ride passed in awkward silence, but Harry couldn't help but notice Draco holding Ginny's hand the entire way. He bristled internally at the sight, feeling bad that Draco may be falling for a traitor.

"So, Ginny, how has your animagus transformation been coming?" Harry asked, again trying to spur conversation.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Not well. I don't think I'm going to keep trying. It's just too embarrassing."

"Oh, come on, Ginny," Hermione said comfortingly. "Imagine all of the situations it could help with. Nobody would ever suspect you of being a cow…" Hermione suddenly put her hand to her mouth to contain a giggle.

"Oh, shut up you two!" Ginny said, irritated. "There's nothing good about being a cow."

"_I don't know,"_ Harry said to Hermione mentally through the Sorting Hat. _"I can sort of see the resemblance."_

Hermione burst out laughing again, this time earning her strange looks from the other occupants of the carriage except for Harry. _"Hermione, love, you might want to tone it down a bit. Good thing you weren't drinking any milk there, though. Don't want that spurting out of your nose."_ Hermione laughed again. _"Okay, I'll stop with the terrible cow jokes."_

The carriages pulled up to Hogwarts and their occupants made their way to the Great Hall for the sorting feast. Harry and Hermione took their places at the Head Table, while Dan, Emma, Draco, and the Weasleys sat down at the Gryffindor table. After a few minutes of idle chatter, the doors to the Great Hall swung open, and Deputy Headmistress Dumbledore led the procession of new first years into the Hall.

The Sorting Hat sang its usual song before Minerva began to call out names of students. Harry and Hermione, having been through the sorting many times before, were used to the voice of the Sorting Hat in their head as it sorted through the new students. After a few minutes, a familiar name was called.

"Potter, Elizabeth," the Deputy Headmistress called.

Elizabeth put on a brave face and walked forward to the stool and sat down. Minerva put the Hat on her head, and instantly, Harry and Hermione's minds were filled with the musings of the Hat.

"_Another Potter?"_ it asked. _"How many are there, exactly? Hmmm…Interesting. There is a thirst to learn here, and great loyalty. Not too ambitious, I see, so that eliminates Slytherin."_ Harry gave a sigh of relief. _"But where to put you?"_

Harry silently prayed that she would be sorted into Gryffindor, as Hermione did the same.

"_I see your parents want you in Gryffindor. Yes, I could see that working…but it seems terribly convenient that everyone near them seems to ends up in that house. No matter, you belong in…_GRYFFINDOR!"

Elizabeth hopped off the stool and ran over to sit next to her grandparents. Harry smiled proudly at his daughter, and at the fact that his entire family was now in Gryffindor.

The rest of the sorting proceeded normally, even though Harry and Hermione tended to recognize fewer and fewer new students every year. At the end of he ceremony, Dumbledore stood for his customary introduction. After proving how eccentric he was to the new students by saying 'a few words' that included "rainbow, drip, acute, and fleet,' Dumbledore announced the beginning of the feast.

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as saucers as the food appeared on the tables. Sure, she had become accustomed to magic being performed in the Potter house, but food never magically appeared on their tables like this. With a seemingly unlimited amount of food in front of her, Elizabeth fell in line with the rest of the first years and ended up gorging herself. Harry could only shake his head in a combination of disgust and amusement as he watched her.

After the feast, Dumbledore stood again to give the start of term announcements. There were no announcements that were out of the ordinary. In fact, the only one said that Mr. Filch's list of banned items had grown again. There were no new staff appointments, so Dumbledore called an end to the feast earlier than usual.

Elizabeth followed the Gryffindor prefects out of the Great Hall, along with the other members of her house, giving one last excited look at her parents. There was no reason to keep her from rooming with the rest of the Gryffindors, like there had been for Draco and the Grangers, so Harry and Hermione had felt it best for her to get to know the students she would be spending so much time with over the next seven years.

Harry and Hermione, accompanied by Draco, Dan, and Emma, made their way to Potter Tower and their rooms. When they arrived, Harry began to unpack his belongings and store them in his and Hermione's room. As he reached for his Firebolt, he paused, reminded of something in the back of his mind. Quickly, he dropped the broom and grabbed Hermione's hand, pulling her out of the tower.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked frantically as they half walked, half jogged down the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Just some inspiration," he said simply as they ran. Hermione soon realized that they were heading for the Headmaster's office, and before long, she was proven right. The gargoyle allowed them past, since Dumbledore had removed the requirement for Harry, Hermione, and Minerva to give a password, and the two climbed the stairs.

Tentatively, Harry knocked on the office door, and it swung open under his touch. He and Hermione crept into the silent office to find Dumbledore asleep on his desk. The door closed behind them with a loud thud, startling the Headmaster awake.

"Humph…oh! Harry, Hermione, what can I do for you this evening?" he asked, trying to suppress a yawn.

Harry looked at him strangely. "Were you just…sleeping?" he asked.

Dumbldore's face flushed. "I admit that I do take brief naps now and then in my office. Being me requires people to think I am always awake. It is terribly difficult to keep up that image, so I am forced to rest briefly from time to time. Normally the wards on the gargoyle alert me when a visitor is arriving, however. Now what can I do for you?"

"Actually, you kinda already touched on what I was going to bring up," Harry began. "Its about wards. You said that the only way to stop a blood portkey was by using blood wards, right?" Dumbledore nodded. "And then you said that the only way to erect those wards was through a blood sacrifice?" Again, the older wizard nodded slowly, trying to gauge where Harry was taking the conversation. "Does the blood always have to come from a death, though?" Harry asked finally.

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he realized the implications of what Harry was suggesting. "Actually, Harry, I am not sure. Every piece of research I've read suggests that the only way to erect a blood ward would be through a death. But if what you're suggesting is possible…" He trailed off, his eyes twinkling madly, revealing an unspoken plan. He bolted up and walked to one of the cabinets in the corner of his office. Muttering some incomprehensible Latin, the door swung open, and Dumbledore removed a large one foot cube black stone.

Dumbledore placed the stone on his desk, and the candlelight in the room played off of the obsidian surface mystically. The stone appeared to sit in a gold cradle with four legs, which seemed to act as a stand. "This," he began, "is the Hogwarts ward stone. It stores and focuses the power of the wards in one place, and is also how the Headmaster controls the wards. The stand is what is actually connected to the school. As long as the stone rests in the stand, the wards remain active. There is also a small backup stone that maintains the three most basic wards: detection, anti-portkey, and anti-apparition, should the main stone be lost."

"Wait. Did you say 'store?'" Hermione asked. "As in stores magic?" She looked at Harry, who immediately understood what she was meaning. "We've been trying to find a way to store a magical charge for a little project we've been working on for our Order," Hermione explained.

"I see," Dumbledore said. "Well this would certainly…'fit the bill' as they say. But ward stones come from a quarry in Africa. It is not easy to get one's hands on one."

"But if we could, we should only need one," Hermione postulated. "We don't need them to store nearly as much energy as this one does. Only enough to power a shield charm. We could just split it up into little pieces to act as batteries for the armor."

"An excellent idea, Mrs. Potter. But back to the matter at hand. I have a small amount of experience with blood based rituals, but I have never thought to combine them with the wards of the school. For this to work, I believe that the blood of two individuals must be used to erect a blood ward around Hogwarts. Of course, the blood of the sitting Headmaster must be included, but the blood of the second individual is not as specific. I believe it would be best though, for you, Harry, to be included. As the magical heir to Godric Gryffindor, I believe that you would be the best candidate to help erect the ward."

Harry nodded and stepped closer to the stone on the desk, admiring its visible perfection. Dumbledore produced a small knife from one of the drawers of his desk and slid it across his palm. He pulled out his wand as he placed his hand on the stone, and very quietly murmured some incantation that Harry could hardly hear. He then nodded to Harry, who took the knife and also sliced his hand. He placed his bloody hand on the ward stone and held it there for a moment while Dumbledore repeated the incantation. As Harry removed his hand, the two bloody handprints slowly vanished, leaving an untarnished black surface once again.

As Dumbledore sat back down in his chair and healed his hand, Hermione spoke up. "What exactly did you just do?" she asked.

"Harry and I just erected a blood ward around Hogwarts…hopefully. We really have no way of testing it right now, but calling upon my considerable knowledge, I believe it worked," Dumbledore replied.

"But that incantation. What was it, and how did you know it if you didn't know anything about blood wards like this?" Hermione pressed.

"Ah, Mrs. Potter, I did not say I did not know about blood wards, simply if they could be erected with simply a sample of blood. But it also helps to have a firm understanding of the basics of Latin as well, as you can easily form your own incantations with such knowledge," Dumbledore explained. "Harry and I have just tied ourselves into the Hogwarts wards. So long as one of us still lives, the blood wards will not fall. Theoretically, no blood based ritual can now pierce the school's defenses."

Hermione sat there in thought for a few moments before Dumbledore continued. "Now, I believe it is getting late. You two have classes in the morning, so I suggest you get a restful night's sleep. I will discuss this with the Ministry, in the hopes that they can use it as well. Good night."

Harry and Hermione left the office and returned to Potter Tower. Hermione was still deep in thought, and hadn't said more than two words to Harry during the trip back.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry asked as they entered the sitting room.

Hermione looked up at him, her face filled with concentration. "Oh, nothing really. It's just that something seemed off back there, but I can't put my finger on it. It's like there's something I should be remembering, but I can't."

Harry accepted this answer and led Hermione into their room. The two got ready for bed, and within minutes, both were sound asleep.

* * *

The first several weeks of the term passed uneventfully. Defense Against the Dark Arts classes went smoothly, with Elizabeth now in their first year classes. Harry also continued to call biweekly meetings of the Order of the Gold Cross out on the Quidditch pitch, so as to allow enough room for all three groups to practice. They also continued to spend some time during each meeting practicing their animagus transformation. So far, only Harry and Hermione had accomplished any part of the transformation. Harry had managed to transform his arms and legs, while Hermione was able to turn her arms into wings.

About three weeks after the sorting feast, Dumbledore called Harry and Hermione into his office for an impromptu visit.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said as they sat down in the chairs on in front of his desk. "I just got back from a meeting with Minister Bones about the blood wards we worked on. After we put them up around Hogwarts, I went and spoke with her about erecting similar wards around the Ministry, and she told me then that she would look into it. Now, I am told, that the Department of Mysteries is looking into the wards and testing their effectiveness."

"Testing their effectiveness?" Harry asked, bewildered. "How long will that take? Sounds like some bureaucratic crap to me."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Please tell me how you really feel, Harry. But more seriously, all changes to the Ministry wards must be approved by the Wizengamot. Such authority does not rest with the Minister. As such, the Wizengamot does not see the urgency as much as Madame Bones does, and has relegated the wards to a testing environment."

"So what you're saying is that nothing's really changed then," Hermione clarified. Dumbledore nodded.

"You are correct, nothing has really changed. But the very fact that we are now aware of, and have corrected this problem here at Hogwarts is what is so troubling. I am afraid that my influence as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot is at a low. Members of that body seem to have unnaturally high expectations that I should, single-handedly, stop the attacks by Voldemort. They refuse to follow my lead on any issue."

"Then they're digging their own grave," Harry muttered, earning a soft nod from Hermione in agreement. "Voldemort will exploit every weakness he can find to wreak havoc on the wizarding world. We know that already. The Ministry is unprotected against blood portkeys, which Voldemort has already used, so they are just inviting an attack at this point."

"You are absolutely right, Harry," Dumbledore said in a resigned tone. "But at the same time, you are taking steps to provide for the safety of the wizarding world. In short order, I believe that your Order will be ready to join the fight against Voldemort."

"What about word from the Americans?" Harry asked. "They said they would try to give us any intelligence they had about Voldemort's operations."

"Sadly, at least to my knowledge, there has been no word from the Americans on anything," Dumbledore replied. "However, they would most likely go through official channels, so any information they passed on would go to the Ministry directly, not us."

"Why did I even think to trust the American government?" Harry said angrily.

"Now, now, Harry, we cannot expect everything to go the way we want them to. Tom has been unnaturally quiet for the past few months, so information about his plans would naturally be harder to come by. We must continue to steel ourselves for whatever plan he may have."

"That kinda reminds me, Grandpa," Harry began. "You use the Elder Wand, right?" Harry didn't wait for Dumbledore to respond. "Don't worry, I already know. Anyway, I think I should disarm you of it. Everyone knows you are the master of the Elder Wand now, so nobody would suspect it if you kept using it, even if I was the master."

"So you are saying that you want to become the master of the Elder Wand, Harry?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Yeah. Think about it. If Voldemort ever got the wand from you, and used it against me, it might backfire on him, killing him."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Harry, I highly doubt Tom is stupid enough to fall for something like that. It is highly unlikely that such a plan would succeed, or even be believable for that matter."

Harry hung his head in shame. "Well, I thought it was worth a try. I mean, he was always trying to get his hands on the Deathly Hallows before."

"I am not criticizing your idea, Harry, simply the fact that it seems horribly contrived for Voldemort to die in such a way, especially considering the concept of the 'power he knows not.' But I will humor you. You may disarm me," Dumbledore said.

Wandlessly, Harry cast expelliarmus at Dumbledore. The Elder Wand flew from the Headmaster into Harry's outstretched hand. He then handed it back to Dumbledore, who smiled at him as he placed it back in his robes.

The three then spent a few minutes discussing recent events within the Order, as well as the lack of additional suspicious activity on the part of Ginny Weasley. Despite the fact that Dumbledore's legimency had shown she did not willingly give information on Harry and Hermione's vacation, Harry was still wary of her. Harry and Hermione then left the office, as they had another class starting shortly thereafter.

* * *

The next few months of the term went by quietly, and before anyone knew it, it was the beginning of December. Students were beginning to get excited for the upcoming Christmas break, and Harry and Hermione couldn't help but notice a general decline in the quality of their students' work.

"We couldn't have been this bad, could we?" Harry asked her over breakfast one Friday morning.

"You, maybe," Hermione replied with a grin, "but never me."

"I know, you're perfect," Harry said playfully, but completely seriously.

Hermione slapped him lightly. "It's not my fault you never took school seriously all those years!"

"Well, sorry," he said with a smile. "I just had a lot on my mind, like dying, being killed, or not being alive in the future. Thoughts like that tend to do things to a bloke, you know."

"Are those still the thoughts that distract you, Harry?" Hermione whispered to him seductively. Harry went red, earning a few stares from the students below.

"Umm…" he croaked. It took him a moment to regain his composure, while Hermione giggled lightly. "Anyway…it snowed overnight."

"I noticed, Harry," Hermione said, amused at Harry's attempt at changing the subject.

"And the students don't seem like they're that interested in class, right?" he continued, finally coming up with a coherent thought.

"Yeah…" Hermione answered slowly.

"So what if we do something a little more…fun for class today? We could say it's a test of their dueling strategy and tactics, or something like that. But it'll really be a snowball fight."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at her husband, causing him to gulp audibly. "So you're saying you want to waste valuable class time so satisfy some childish urge to go play in the snow?" she asked dangerously.

Harry appeared to back away from her a few inches before he nodded slowly. "Yes…" he squeaked softly. Harry looked over to see Dumbledore grinning wildly, but conveniently not looking in their direction.

"And you want to lie about the reasons behind your little snowball fight?" Hermione continued. Harry felt as though he would turn into a pile of jelly in his chair under her unrelenting gaze. He nodded fearfully, closing his eyes. "That's a great idea, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry opened one eye cautiously to see Hermione beaming at him. He then opened his other eye, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Really?" he asked meekly.

"Of course. What better way to improve morale for these last two weeks before school lets out?" Hermione posed. "You're brilliant, Harry."

Harry, now having realized Hermione was just having him on, puffed out his chest in pride. "You know, it's really hard sometimes to keep my brilliance in check, but I try my best," he said vainly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

An hour later found Harry and Hermione standing in front of their fifth year Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Alright, we're gonna do something a bit different today," Harry began to tell the class. "We thought that you've had enough practice dueling in a classroom setting, so we thought we'd take it outside. So leave everything behind and follow us," he instructed.

Half of the class rose, but Dean Thomas raised his hand. "Everything?" he asked. "Even our wands?"

"Even your wands," Harry replied, smiling mischievously. "You'll understand once we get there. Come on."

The two Potters led their combined class of fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws through the halls of Hogwarts and out the front doors of the school There was a large open area just in front of the school that was perfect for their little exercise.

When they were standing in the snow-covered clearing, Harry and Hermione stopped, the class stopping behind them. Hermione turned to face the class before she started to speak. She and Harry had unconsciously agreed to alternate what they would say in front of the class, in order to make it seem like each of them was equally involved.

"We thought it would be fun to test your dueling strategy a bit differently than usual. We're of course referring to nothing more than a good, old fashioned snowball fight," she announced. "Now, this is a conveniently timed double period, so we have two hours for this…activity," she added with a smile. "It will be Gryffindors against Ravenclaws, so you have fifteen minutes to build up your forts and arsenals before we begin."

Harry pulled Hermione aside while the preparation time passed. "So, are we actually going to grade them on this?" he asked.

"I don't know, it was your idea," Hermione admitted. "But now that I think about it, I think we should make them think we are, but in the end don't. There's really nothing we can legitimately grade them on, anyway. It's just for fun."

The fifteen minutes soon expired, so Harry announced the beginning of the battle. The Gryffindors had built one large snow fort that resembled a five foot tall semicircle around them. For their part, the Ravenclaws had built a series of smaller, personal forts, spread around more. Their goal was to try to make more targets than the Gryffindors could handle.

Snowballs began to fly in all directions. Harry kept an eye on the Gryffindors, while Hermione watched the Ravenclaws. They had added a rule that said that once a student got hit with a snowball, they were eliminated from play. The first team to eliminate the entire opposing team would win.

About ten minutes into the fight, five of the thirteen Ravenclaws had been eliminated, while only four Gryffindors had been hit. Suddenly, Dumbledore burst out of the front doors to the school and strode over to the class.

"Class dismissed!" he boomed, as he walked towards Harry and Hermione. "Professors, would you please come with me?" There was no smile on his face or twinkle in his eye, which made the two Potters nervous. They complied, following the Headmaster, and leaving their confused class behind.

Dumbledore walked quickly, much faster than his physical appearance would indicate he could. Harry and Hermione struggled to keep up without breaking into a full jog. As they walked, Dumbledore spoke.

"The Ministry is under attack," the Headmaster said gravely. "I got word a few minutes ago that a large number of Death Eaters appeared out of nowhere, presumably using blood portkeys. Based on my source, this was not a small force meant as a diversionary attack, but an army meant to take the Ministry." Harry gave Hermione a grim look before realizing that they had just arrived at the Headmaster's office in record time.

"Harry, Hermione, please summon your Order," Dumbledore commanded without looking at them, as they entered the office from the stairwell. Several of the instruments on his desk were spinning out of control. Harry nodded at Hermione, who reached into her pocket and grabbed the charmed galleon. She turned to leave the office. "Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore stopped her. "Just outside the wards, please, near Hagrid's hut." She nodded and left the office.

Harry and Dumbledore were left alone in the office. Dumbledore reached onto one of his shelves and pulled down the Sorting Hat. "Harry, time is of the essence, and the moment has come. Withdraw the Sword of Gryffindor. Become who you were born to be: a great leader of the light."

Tenuously, Harry reached into the Sorting Hat and focused his mind on the image of the Sword of Gryffindor. He felt his fingers on cold metal, and wrapped them around it. With one draw, he pulled the sword out of the hat and held it up, admiring its craftsmanship. He felt his hand tingle as the magic of the sword in this timeline adjusted to his. Within moments, Harry felt a deep connection to the sword, as if it knew his intentions, and was simply an extension of his arm.

Dumbledore then offered Harry a scabbard, which looked to match the sword, as it was encrusted with rubies, and was also a silver color. Harry attached the scabbard to his waist and sheathed the sword, wrapping his cloak around it.

"Harry, I believe you should change your attire," Dumbledore suggested. "Move quickly, and meet us in the clearing just past Hagrid's hut when finished. The wards around the Ministry have fallen, so we will be using a portkey to travel there, as not everyone has been there before."

Harry bolted from the office and ran towards Potter Tower. His movement was somewhat hindered by the blade at his side, but not as much as he had been expecting. It was almost as though the sword was crafted for maneuverability. As soon as he reached the tower, he threw open the portrait and found the tower occupied only by Elizabeth.

"What're you doing out of class?" he asked hurriedly.

"I was in Transfiguration and Professor Dumbledore dismissed the class all of a sudden and left. What's going on?"

"Don't tell anyone yet, but the Ministry is under attack. Your mother and I are going to stop them."

Harry rushed to his and Hermione's room and threw on his Order armor, before once again affixing the sword to his waist. Satisfied with his appearance, Harry, clad entirely in white, returned to the front sitting room.

Elizabeth hugged him as he left. "Be careful," she said softly into his chest.

"I will," Harry replied, before he quickly made his way down to the school's great front doors.

As he ran across the grounds of the school, every head turned to face him. The entire Order of the Gold Cross was there, all in the white basilisk hide uniforms that they had handed out a few weeks earlier. They still did not have any shield charms built in, but they would suffice for now. There were also members of the Order of the Phoenix present as well, including Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. Minerva Dumbledore had agreed to stay behind just outside the wards, in case any casualties were sent there via portkey, as they could not go directly to the hospital wing. Hermione and Albus Dumbledore stood at the front of the group, on top of a small hill.

"Thank you for being so prompt, Harry. I've just explained the situation to all present. Now, if you would all just please take hold of this length of rope, we will be departing," Dumbledore instructed. Harry stepped up between Dumbledore and Hermione.

"Remember, wear your masks," he reminded his Order. They didn't want the identities of the students to be revealed. However, Harry and Hermione had agreed to not wear theirs, as it would do no good. Death Eaters already knew their loyalties, and there was no point in hiding their identities.

Everyone gathered around the rope and took hold. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and tapped the rope, uttering a quiet "Portus," and everyone in the area disappeared.

* * *

When Harry regained his bearings, he found himself in a poorly lit, partially destroyed excuse for the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He turned around to see almost four dozen others standing near him, when both the Order of the Gold Cross and the Order of the Phoenix were accounted for.

The rows of fireplaces that were normally extremely active lay silent, many of them replaced by piles of rubble. Shattered glass littered the ground, and there were blood smears everywhere, but that was not what caught everyone's attention.

Bodies were strewn across the floor. Dozens of bodies, most dressed in Auror uniforms. There were a few that belonged to Death Eaters scattered about, but the vast majority were Ministry employees. Other than the bodies and the new Hogwarts arrivals, there was nobody else in the Atrium. It was silent.

Tentatively, Harry and Dumbledore led their small army forward into the ruin that was once the grand entry to the Ministry. The Fountain of Magical Brethren had been replaced by a still smoldering crater, with tiny jets of water shooting out of it. The group took in the destruction of such a monument to the magical world in silence, before continuing towards the lifts to the other floors.

"Something's not right," Harry said quietly, and Dumbledore nodded in agreement. Both had their wands drawn, but the sword was still at Harry's side. "It's too quiet." The group used the lifts to travel to level one of the Ministry. As there were several lifts, they were able to all get there in one trip, albeit after a tight fit. Their first stop was the Minister's office.

Harry stepped aside to let Dumbledore take the lead here. As they stepped out of the lift, there was an ornately decorated hallway, but it too was darkly lit to see anything clearly. It was as if the lights in the Ministry were tied to the wards, and both had fallen at the same time.

The two Orders made their way down the hall, with those in the back keeping an eye on the rear. At the end of the wide hall, there was a large wooden door with the seal of the Ministry of Magic above it. As it was already ajar, Dumbledore eased it open with his free hand, poking his lit wand in first. Satisfied that the room was clear, he signaled to Harry to follow him. Harry did so, leaving instructions for the rest to wait outside to guard the office.

Inside, they found several pieces of overturned furniture, as if a fight had already occurred there. There were also three Auror bodies on the floor here, as well, in front of a closed door. But what struck Harry and Dumbledore most were the nearly dozen Death Eater bodies in the outer office as well. Those three Aurors hadn't gone down without a fight.

Dumbledore tried the other door in the room, but found it locked. He tried to unlock it using the unlocking charm, but found that it had no effect. "Harry," he said, motioning at the door for Harry to try. Harry focused all of his power to the tip of his wand and cast the same unlocking charm at the door. At first, nothing happened, but Harry held the spell, and after a moment, the two heard a soft click, as the door unlocked.

Harry pushed the door open gently, and with his wand at the ready, he cautiously entered the room.

"Stupefy!" he heard, and with only inches to spare, avoided the stunner.

"Who's there?" Harry asked loudly as he crouched as low to the ground as he could, his grip on his wand tightening. He hadn't seen where the curse had come from, and had only reacted on instinct. "Show yourselves!"

There was silence for a moment before Harry heard it again. "Stupefy!" He rolled to avoid the stunner, but this time, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Harry cast a wandless stunner in that direction, as there was not time to aim his wand. He heard a thud, and carefully stood up to check his handiwork. As he did so, he was hit by a stunner from another hidden assailant. Harry fell to the ground, unconscious.

Dumbledore walked into the room as well at this point, and with one spell, lit the entire room, revealing the forms of Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shaklebolt. Both had their wands trained on the old wizard.

"What's wrong, Alastor? Can't recognize your old friend anymore?" Dumbledore asked as he stepped inside.

"If you're Albus Dumbledore, then I've got two good legs," Moody replied testily. "How is our old spy, Fenrir?"

"You know full well, Alastor that Fenrir Greyback is no spy of ours," Dumbledore replied confidently. Moody lowered his wand at this answer.

Dumbledore revived Harry and helped him up, before going to check on the person Harry had stunned. "Harry, I believe you've stunned the Minister of Magic," Dumbledore said with a soft smile, a sight that was rare on any face at that moment.

Harry clapped his hand to his mouth to hide his embarrassed smile, and revived the Minister with his other. Amelia Bones slowly opened her eyes and took stock of the two figures standing over her.

"I got your message, Minister," Dumbledore said formally. "And I brought help." The Minister's eyes flicked over to Harry.

"Sorry about that, but I asked you to show yourself," he said sheepishly, helping her up. She straightened her robe as she stood, but still retained her hold on her wand.

"What happened here Amelia?" Dumbledore asked her.

"Death Eaters," she said simply.

"Yeah, I kinda gathered that," Harry said sarcastically, earning himself a glare from both Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic. He found the latter one more intimidating.

"They somehow portkeyed in, and took us by surprise. They had Dementors with them too. The Aurors in the Atrium didn't stand a chance, and we lost almost a hundred down there alone. We pulled everyone we had available, except for those at Azkaban, but it still wasn't enough. Their numbers are huge, Albus; this is an invasion."

"Then where did they all go?" Harry pressed.

"You haven't found them yet?" Bones asked with wide eyes. But then they narrowed. "They must be after something. There has to be some reason for them to abandon everything at once." She looked at the pile of Death Eater corpses outside her office. "I was surprised they only sent that many up here after me. I'm not a vain person, but I like to think I am at least somewhat important."

Harry and Dumbledore nodded as they led the Minister, along with Moody and Shacklebolt, back outside to the waiting group. "So you're saying you think they're still here?" Harry asked her.

"I do. So we best be on our toes. I'm not sure what they're after, but I have a feeling they could be lurking anywhere," she replied.

"I have an idea about what they're looking for," Harry said. Dumbledore immediately understood his meaning, and shot him a warning glare. "What? I don't care anymore. What harm is it gonna do if others know?" Harry asked. "They're probably in the Department of Mysteries, in the Hall of Prophecies right now. Or at least some of them are. But they're not gonna find what they're looking for down there."

The group returned to the lifts and put in their next destination as level nine, the Department of Mysteries. After a few moments, they found themselves in the entrance chamber, complete with its twelve unmarked doors. Hermione employed the same tactic as last time, and marked the doors as they opened them. On their fifth try, they found the door into the Hall of Prophecies, and went through it.

The door closed behind them, and Harry led the way across the dust-covered floor to where he knew his prophecy once rested. As he approached that shelf, he stopped. "They know we're here," Harry announced. Hermione pushed forward to stand at his side.

"How do you know?" she asked.

Harry pointed at the shelf where the empty cradle for his prophecy lay. Hermione then followed his finger as he pointed at the ground. She could make out a set of footprints that ended right in front of them, and in front of the shelf.

"There aren't any return prints," Harry said quietly. Immediately, Hermione understood. They had apparated or portkeyed away, instead of walking. Something must have startled or warned them. Harry and Hermione turned back to the rest of the group and began to leave the Hall.

Suddenly, they heard dozens of pops all around them. Harry's head spun around to look in every direction, only to see more than two hundred Death Eaters surrounding them on all sides.

"Oh, crap," he said.

* * *

Harry drew the Sword of Gryffindor in one stroke, and he heard a dozen other swords being drawn behind him, as well as a dozen guns being cocked.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted. His shout pierced the silence and he watched as the green jet of light strike one of the front Death Eaters, who fell to the ground, dead. In an instant, the air was filled with the sounds of curses being shouted. Beams of light flew in every direction.

Using both his wand and sword, Harry threw killing curse after killing curse into the Death Eater horde. He saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye as one of his own fell.

Harry stepped in front of the fallen student to cover him. Hermione knelt down to check for a pulse. "He's still alive," she announced. She then created a portkey from a piece of rubble and sent the injured student to Hogwarts. Hermione quickly stood back up and joined her husband's side.

The sound of curses being yelled was soon joined by the reverb of gunshots in the chamber. But Harry noticed that none of them seemed to connect with their targets. Instead, in the dim light, Harry saw a slowly growing mass of something in front of several Death Eaters on all sides.

Hermione was finding her mettle tested as never before. She had been in combat before, but never on a scale like this. She dipped into her endless pool of knowledge to pull out the first of many advanced tricks. Hermione cast a jet of water at the four Death Eaters in front of her, causing no damage. As they looked at her haughtily, she shot back a smirk. With a wave of her wand, a bolt of lightning burst forward, electrocuting all four.

Dan found himself with a gun in one hand and a wand in the other. But every shot he took, no matter how perfectly aimed, didn't seem to connect with its target. Then the reason struck him. "Guns away!" he commanded to his group. A dozen guns were holstered and wands drawn instead. There would be time for their guns at another date.

While only a few seconds had passed, it seemed like a lifetime. Harry knew that they were sitting ducks if they stayed in one place and decided it was time to break through. So he pulled out one of the tricks he and his sword brigade had been working on.

"Swords!" he called out, and his group rallied to him, blades at the ready. Wands were also drawn by the sword brigade. Harry's dozen followers immediately sent a barrage of curses at the Death Eaters in front of them. Utilizing this split second of confusion, Harry led his group forward in a charge towards the enemy line. They kept their wands out and ready, keeping a shield charm active as long as possible. Without charmed armor, they had to rely on their own power to keep them safe in the charge.

As Harry approached the Death Eaters, he saw fear on the face of some in the front for a fraction of a second before a few of them apparated away. Those left behind them were taken by surprise as a wave of steel descended upon them.

Cold metal met warm flesh with a slice, as Harry cut through the first Death Eater cleanly. He slumped to the ground, clutching his bleeding chest with the last of his energy. The rest of Harry's unit followed, cutting down a number of the enemy in their charge. The Death Eaters were taken aback, and didn't know what to do.

Seeing a window of opportunity, Dumbledore and Hermione led the rest of the Hogwarts militia through the opening Harry had created. They kept firing lethal or dangerous curses as they ran, trying to keep their enemies off guard. The opening began to close, but they made it through in time. Once their comparatively small group was through, they turned around to face the horde of dark forces.

Harry Potter once again stood at the front of the army of the light, facing down a legion of Voldemort's Death Eaters. No curses were fired for a moment, as both sides took stock of the other. Harry looked behind himself at those who stood with him.

"Where's Ron?" he asked, noticing the absence of one particular redhead.

"He must have been injured and left. Harry, there are too many of them," Hermione said softly. "We can't take them all." Another curse was shouted from behind Harry, and beams of light again began to whiz past him. He cast the occasional shield charm with his wand, and used the sword to send a series of killing curses in various directions.

At one point, he felt a curse fly by his head dangerously close, slicing off a few stray hairs. Harry spun around to see Ginny Weasley mouth a silent 'sorry' to him. Angrily, Harry turned back around.

Harry was suddenly struck with an idea. He silently cast a reductor curse at one of the huge shelves that held the prophecies. Harry watched as one of the supporting sides crumbled to dust. The shelf began to fall, right into the crowd of Death Eaters. Most of them noticed and either fled or apparated away, but a few were crushed as the mammoth shelf collapsed upon them.

For a moment, Harry allowed himself to relish his triumph, but his attention was torn away by a grunt behind him. He spun to find Sirius clutching his side, blood gushing out from between his fingers and running down his shirt.

"Get out of here, Sirius!" Harry commanded. But the former Marauder stayed in place, using his free hand to keep up the barrage against the Death Eaters, who were once again beginning to advance on the small militia.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped up to Sirius Black's injured side. He was determined to keep the beleaguered potions professor fighting as long as possible. Years in the Auror corps had taught him the value of one more man in battle, even when injured. The two fought, side by side. For both of them, it brought back memories of the first Order of the Phoenix.

Suddenly, Sirius collapsed. His hand fell from his side, letting a torrent of blood come rushing out. Signaling to Moody to cover him, Shacklebolt knelt down and sent Sirius back to Hogwarts. He returned to the grizzled Auror's side, near where Harry was standing.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry bellowed, decapitating another Death Eater. "Confringo! Confringo!" he added a second later towards another. The first curse was blocked, but the second, so close to the first, made it through, and the Death Eater exploded in a shower of gore.

Albus Dumbledore had not been in a of this scale battle in years. However he found the sensation oddly exhilarating, despite his age. He took the opportunity to try some of his more creative tactics, to great effect. With a swish of his wand, a hail of spears were sent flying at a section of Death Eaters. Several deflected the attack. But a number fell to the ground, pierced through the chest or head. Then, with great deftness, he levitated two of the fallen enemies and threw them into the front of the crowd with extreme force. Nearly a dozen Death Eaters were bowled over by this attack. Dumbledore then turned back to continue his assault.

As he did so, another of his students fell to an enemy attack. He created a protective bubble around himself and the student, and checked for a pulse. The fallen student, whose face was shrouded by a mask, showed no signs of injury. Yet Dumbledore could find no pulse. The student was a victim of the killing curse. With a wave of his wand, the Headmaster created a portkey back to Hogwarts, and placed it on the body of the student. The fallen child disappeared.

The Death Eater ranks were beginning to thin, but glancing behind himself, Harry noticed that there were less than two dozen Order members still present, and many of them were nursing wounds of their own. They wouldn't last much longer.

Harry took a look over at Dumbledore. The old man was showing more agility than Harry had ever seen from him. He was now wielding two wands, one apparently from a fallen Death Eater, and was firing spells from both at the same time. Death Eaters were falling before him, but they also seemed to be coalescing into one group to attack the Headmaster alone.

Suddenly, the room began to get cold. All of the students were able to see their own breath, and some began to shiver. On instinct, Harry looked up to see a swarm of black hooded creatures approach.

"Just when this couldn't get any worse," Harry moaned. He wandlessly cast the Patronus charm towards the Dementors, while keeping up his barrage against the Death Eaters. A ghostly stag appeared in the air, and charged into the horde of demons. Several students shouted the charm as well, and Prongs was joined by an otter, fox, cougar, and other animals.

Harry had seen enough to know that the Death Eaters were beginning to wear down his army. But with the Dementors on their side, they would soon overtake them. Summoning every ounce of his power and channeling it into both his wand and sword, Harry conjured an immense wall of rock between the Death Eaters and the two Orders. He also put up an anti-apparition ward around them to prevent Death Eaters from simply apparating around the barrier.

"Get out of here! Use the portkeys!" Harry ordered. Dumbledore looked at Harry curiously before nodding sagely. He pulled out the same rope they had used to get there, and pulled as many as he could around him.

Harry could hear explosions on the other side of the wall, but he focused his power on keeping it up. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead. But he kept the barrier intact.

He turned his head slightly to see figures clothed in white with red splotches begin to disappear sullenly, until only Dumbledore, Hermione, and the Grangers remained.

Suddenly, Harry tensed up. "He's here," he whispered, quietly enough to where Hermione almost couldn't hear him. "I can sense him."

Dumbledore was at his side in an instant. "How, Harry?" Harry simply touched his scar as an answer. Almost against his own will, Harry lowered his wand and sword, disconnecting himself from the barrier he was maintaining.

Within moments, chunks of the wall began to break off, and Harry could see to the other side. He caught a glimpse of the snake-like form of Voldemort, who was leading the charge against the wall, and narrowed his eyes at the sight.

Harry took a step towards the collapsing wall and raised the Sword of Gryffindor once again. The wall collapsed completely, exposing the three remaining champions of the light. Harry stood ahead of Hermione and Dumbledore, seemingly facing Voldemort and his multitude of followers alone. He began to walk forward, towards the horde.

"No! Harry!" Hermione screamed as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Harry. Harry tried to wrestle himself free, but not before he felt a familiar sensation, and the image of the Hall of Prophecies vanished.

* * *

An instant later, Harry appeared just outside Hagrid's hut, and finished tearing himself away from Hermione's grasp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled at her.

Dumbledore, who appeared a second after the Potters, answered for her. "Harry, you would not have stood a chance against Tom back there. It would have been foolish to even try."

"To even try? You mean to try and end this now! I could have stopped him!" Harry vented.

"No you couldn't, Harry," Hermione argued. "You would have been killed before you ever got a curse off. Do you honestly think you alone stand a chance against Voldemort and a hundred of his followers, not to mention Dementors? No, wait. Don't even answer that. You have a daughter now, you can't go thinking that you can throw your life away like that. I thought we went over this after you nearly got yourself killed with the Hydra!"

Harry hung his head in shame. She was right. He had gotten so caught up in the moment that he was willing to throw his life away in some futile effort to kill Voldemort. He would have died in seconds, leaving nobody to finish off Voldemort. Moreover, he would have left Elizabeth without a father again, so soon after watching her guardians die.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he admitted.

Hermione saw the look on his face and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey. No need to beat yourself up about it any more. It's over and done with, no harm done. You didn't get hurt, so don't be so hard on yourself. Just from now on, trust me to have your best interests at heart, alright?" Harry nodded, and Hermione placed a kiss on his lips to comfort him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat to break the two apart. "Harry, I believe we should see how bad our losses are," he suggested, tilting his head towards the castle. Harry nodded grimly and took Hermione's hand. The three then made their way into the school and up to the hospital wing, which was set up as a sort of triage center.

Minerva Dumbledore was sitting next to one student, who turned out to be Seamus Finnegan, nursing a gash down one arm. Madame Pomfrey was also present, but she was running to and fro checking up on various other patients. All told, there were about a dozen students with various injuries in the room, ranging from simple cuts and bruises to consciousness-robbing injuries.

Sirius was lying on one of the beds, also unconscious. Harry walked up to him and sat down in a chair next to him. Madame Pomfrey walked up to Harry at this point.

"I swear! Every problem I have to deal with somehow comes back to you! You are the bane of my existence, Mr. Potter!" she huffed.

"How is he?" Harry asked, completely ignoring her pointless remarks.

"He'll be fine in a few days. He took a nasty curse, and had some blood loss to take care of as well." With that, she left to tend to her other patients.

As Harry stood back up, Ron walked through the doorway, gently moving his arm like it had just been healed. "Hey, guys. Sorry I got knocked out of the game so early, but it got pretty nasty there really quick," he commented. Harry nodded his head vacantly before leaving the room with Dumbledore and Hermione.

They found Emma, Dan, and Draco in the hall outside, with Draco holding Ginny in his arms. Harry looked at Ginny suspiciously, but immediately wiped the look from his face as she turned to face him, and replaced it with one of forced concern.

"Harry, I'm sorry about almost hitting you with that curse," Ginny began, "but you moved your head at just the wrong time, and, well…"

"Shh…" Draco whispered to her. "He's not mad. He knows things like that happen. The important thing is that he didn't get hurt. Right?" he asked Harry for confirmation, nodding his head when Ginny couldn't see.

"Um, yeah," Harry offered. Draco breathed a sigh of relief at Harry's support, and guided Ginny down the corridor and away from the others, leaving only the two Potters, two Grangers, and Dumbledore.

"How could we have screwed that up so badly?" Harry asked, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground, resting his chin on his knees.

"Harry, there were just too many of them. There was no way to defeat them all," Dumbledore explained. "From the moment they appeared, the battle was lost. True, we caused a great deal of damage to Tom's forces today, but had we stayed, we could not have won. You made the right decision, calling for a retreat."

"But at what cost?" Harry asked. "The Ministry? Voldemort now has free reign there." Harry didn't notice Minister Bones approach them silently. She had escaped via portkey with the rest of the students.

"Harry, the Ministry is just a building," Hermione added. "The important thing is that the government is still intact."

"That, my dear Mrs. Potter, is sadly not the case," Bones interrupted grimly. "There was a partial meeting of the Wizangamot today, but due to its strictly procedural purpose today, not all of the members were in attendance. For example, due to Albus's school schedule, he cannot always make the meetings. At any rate, from what I've been told, a number of Death Eaters and Dementors appeared in the meeting chamber and took the council unawares. They never stood a chance."

A gasp escaped from Hermione. "You mean, the entire government is just…"

"Not the entire government," Bones corrected. "But a large portion of it. Many of the members were heads of houses that had previously sided against You-Know-Who, and today they paid the price."

"But what about the rest? There must have been heads of houses there that sided with Voldemort during the first war!" Harry objected.

"Undoubtedly, yes, Harry. But I have a strong feeling that if we are ever given the chance to identify the bodies, we will find that there were not many, if any, followers of Voldemort among the killed in that room," Dumbledore hypothesized. "They likely knew of the attack in advance and did not attend."

"So what happens now?" Harry asked Minister Bones. "You have to have some plan for this."

"To some degree, yes, we do. But this was a clear attempt to decapitate the government of magical Britain, and to a large degree, they succeeded. Normally, if the Ministry building ever fell, or was needed to be evacuated, the employees would move to an off-site, alternate location and continue business. However, I fear that, at least until we can get a feeling for our losses, the Ministry only consists of myself, Moody, Shacklebolt, and the hundred or so Aurors we have at Azkaban."

Dan asked the question on everyone's mind. "And where was this location?"

Dumbledore spoke for the Minister. "Here at Hogwarts," he said calmly. "It is the most protected magical site in Britain, so it is a natural fit for an emergency fallout location for the Ministry."

"Albus, with your permission, I'd like to set up a few offices in some unused classrooms. Arthur Weasley contacted me after being out of the country as a Ministry liaison. He is returning early and will need an office, as will I," Bones requested.

"By all means, Minister," Dumbledore replied with a slight bow. Madame Bones left the group silently.

After she left, Harry spoke up. "Can't we just go back and retake the Ministry?" he asked.

"Perhaps, in time, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "But right now, we are too weak. The Auror Corps has been decimated, and we are not at fighting strength now."

"But what about the Aurors at Azkaban?" Harry pressed angrily. "Use some of them! We can't just let them get away with the Ministry!"

Dumbledore chuckled. Then he broke into a full laugh. "What! What's so damn funny?" Harry asked.

"Harry, what exactly do you expect Voldemort to be able to do? All he has is a building. A well fortified building, yes, but a building no less. He has no greater power today than he did yesterday. True, it is a tragedy and an outrage that the Wizengamot has been attacked. But there is nothing we can do about that now. Just as there is nothing to be gained by a foolhardy attack on the Ministry at this juncture."

That shut Harry up. Dumbledore continued. "What's more, should Voldemort stay where he is, we would have an idea as to his location. If there is one thing that has been gained by this, let it be that."

"One thing I've been wondering through this whole thing is how the Death Eaters even got into the Minsitry in the first place," Emma asked.

"I can only assume blood portkeys," Dumbledore answered.

"Wait! It all makes sense now," Hermione exclaimed. "Madame Bones said that hundreds of Death Eaters appeared, probably about two hundred or more. That corresponds with the more than two hundred innocents who died in the random attacks over the past year! It can't just be a coincidence."

"You're saying that Voldemort pulled off those attacks to make his blood portkeys?" Harry asked for clarification. Hermione nodded. "Makes sense. They probably didn't think to use only a blood sample, and went for the full sacrificial killing. Besides, Death Eaters use any excuse in the book to kill someone."

"Perhaps Tom's machinations really do have an overarching logic to then…" Dumbledore mused.

* * *

Harry trudged back up to Potter Tower after being checked over by Madame Pomfrey. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and classes for the day had ended. As such, the corridors of the school were busy with students in their free time.

As he threw open the portrait to the Tower, Harry saw Elizabeth sitting on one of the couches, a textbook in her lap. She looked up at him as he entered, and promptly dropped her book. In an instant, Harry had the wind knocked out of him by an eleven year old tornado, and found himself wrapped in a tight hug.

"Hey, Liz," Harry whispered into her hair, pulling her tighter. The two stood like that for a few minutes, in each other's embrace. It was only now hitting Harry like it should have earlier: this young girl would have been without a father. He vowed not to let that happen ever again.

Father and daughter sat down on one of the couches, Elizabeth snuggled up into Harry's shoulder. The silence continued for another few minutes, with the two enjoying each other's company.

"Mum told me what happened," Elizabeth said finally, breaking the silence. "She told me what you wanted to do."

Harry sighed audibly at this. It was the one subject he hadn't wanted to broach. He waited a moment, collecting his thoughts before he spoke.

"Sweetheart, there is an evil man out there-"

"Voldemort. I know. You've told me about him before," Elizabeth interrupted.

"Anyway, he was there today. At the battle. I am the only one who is able to kill him, and I thought that, since I had the chance, I should take it."

"But mum said that he had an army with him, and you were pretty much alone. That doesn't make much sense to me," Elizabeth said, looking Harry in the eye.

"Liz, there are times in life when people make rash decisions. In many cases, these decisions lead to grave consequences. I was lucky today. I almost made one of those mistakes, and it could have cost me everything. I know that now, and I'm very thankful that your mother stopped me. All I can say is that, at the time, I wasn't thinking. I wasn't thinking about you, your mother, or any other people besides myself. True, I deluded myself into thinking I would be doing it for all of mankind, but we both know I wouldn't have succeeded."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and cuddled closer into Harry. "Just promise me you won't go and do anything stupid like that again," she said tiredly.

Harry smiled. _Out of the mouths of babes_, he thought. "I can't promise I won't," he said as he closed his eyes too. "But I can promise I'll try."

* * *

Harry awoke in a white room, devoid of visible furniture, outside of whatever he was lying on. After taking a moment to adjust to the brightness, he was able to open his eyes completely. Harry sat up and stretched, feeling thoroughly refreshed, before standing up. He turned around just in time to see what appeared to be a large white cushion disappear.

Harry turned back around to see an almost mirror image of himself staring back. It was the form of James Potter. Instantly, Harry knew where he was. The question was, why?

"Why am I here?" he asked.

"You are here, Harry, because of what happened today. I will not lecture you on your desire to kill Voldemort. While driven by the best of intentions, it was poorly thought through. However, that is not why you are here. Instead, I want to discuss your other efforts to stop Voldemort," God/James said.

"You mean the Order of the Gold Cross?"

"Exactly. Your work with them is admirable, Harry, but not enough. There are darker days ahead for the world; darker than have been seen in a millennium. It is ironic that Albus Dumbledore told you today to 'Become who you were born to be: a great leader of the light.' That is exactly what you must do."

"But how? I've tried my best, trained others to help in the fight. What else can I do?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you do not lack heart or determination. What makes the greatest leaders though is what you lack: wisdom. Wisdom and patience are key," He replied. "I am sorry to say, Harry, that you have neither in great quantity."

_Well, nothing like having God tell you your faults to make you feel like dirt_, Harry thought. James chuckled as he read Harry's thoughts. "Wait, did you just laugh?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Of course I did. Contrary to your beliefs, I do have a sense of humor. How else do you think I knew to give man one when I created him? But to answer your unasked question, remember I can read your thoughts, I know what you are thinking."

"So you're saying that I need to be wiser than I am?" Harry asked, confused. He had no idea how to do that.

"Harry, the life you live has already been planned out for you. All you must do is play your role. Your role in the tale of the world is more vital than you can possibly imagine. You are destined for something great, something that transcends Voldemort and his followers. The armies of darkness will soon be moving. Left unchecked they will cover the Earth as a plague, and mankind will tremble and fall at their approach. You will stop them, Harry. You are the one chosen for this task."

If Harry wasn't confused before, he was now. His question hadn't even been answered. But before he could open his mouth, James Potter continued. "You must learn to judge a situation dispassionately. Stay your hand before striking. Impulsiveness is the brother to foolishness, and foolishness a cousin of Death. Beware this, Harry.

But steel your mind, and you will find wisdom like few others. It is then that you will become the man you were born to be, Harry. It is then that you will claim your mantle of leadership. Remember this, and keep it in your heart."

"Can't you help me? Can't you give me some kind of hint?" Harry pressed.

"I already have, Harry," James replied. "I have given you help already, by telling you how to change. But I will not aid you further for now. In order to truly grow, you must face events on your own, and learn from them. That is the only way to become a true leader. Now, farewell, Harry. We will meet again."

The image of James Potter began to fade into the white, and in a moment, it was gone entirely, leaving Harry alone again. A second later, the whiteness began to fade into black. Harry pondered the words he had just heard as the darkness enveloped him.

* * *

The next sight that greeted Harry Potter was his wife's face, as she gently shook him awake. Harry opened his eyes slowly to find himself back in the sitting room in Potter Tower, Elizabeth no longer at his side. Looking out the window, he saw the night sky, and wondered how long he had been asleep.

"What time is it?" he asked Hermione groggily.

"Just past ten at night," she said soothingly, sitting down on his lap softly. She put her head in the crook between his shoulder and jaw, snuggling close. Harry felt a wave of contentment pass over him as he absently stroked her hair.

Harry found himself drifting back to the conversation he had just had with God. Using the advice he had just been given, Harry then turned his mind towards all of the decisions he had made since he had been sent back over five years prior. He was startled by how many reckless mistakes he had made, and how many could have been avoided.

Reaching all the way back to his first year in this timeline, Harry realized that he could have freed Sirius sooner than he had, and saved his godfather from spending additional years in prison. He could have had someone to turn to for added advice, or an additional ally in his struggles for his first two years.

Harry also found himself reliving his experiences at the graveyard in Little Hangleton. He _should_ have realized what Voldemort was planning in advance, but he didn't give it enough thought. Instead of wisdom, Harry demonstrated foolishness. It was only through his own fault that Voldemort was able to gain physical form in the exact same way as his first life. Severus Snape had died to pay for Harry's mistake. But they were still paying for it, as Snape was not around to give them information into Voldemort's operation.

Then there was the situation with the Hydra. Harry knew even before his meeting with God that he could have handled that better. There must have been some other way to deal with the beast. He could have simply fled to come back later, if all else failed. But instead he had acted impulsively, and nearly got himself killed. While his gambit had worked in the end, it very well might not have. Even though Harry knew nothing in life was certain to go right, he now realized it was a bad idea to use that tactic.

All of these instances, and more, came flooding back to Harry, before he was reminded of the events of that day. He reflected on them more as he closed his eyes and leaned back into the couch. After a few minutes, he was asleep.

* * *

**Ministry Attack Will Not Shake Our Resolve**

By Amelia Bones, Minister of Magic

_Yesterday morning, a horrific attack on the Ministry of Magic left dozens dead and wounded. Voldemort aims to attack the very foundation of our society, and test the strength of our resolve. He will not succeed. The Ministry of Magic is in complete control of magical Britain and plans to retake the Ministry building are being formulated. But make no mistake: we live in dangerous times, and it will take the determination and fortitude of all witches and wizards to bring down this threat. We will not falter in our task, we will not back down…_

Harry put down the Daily Prophet to take a bite of his breakfast. As it was the weekend, the teachers were allowed free time and were not required to eat breakfast in the Great Hall. As such, Harry and Hermione had decided to take theirs in their tower in private. Dan, Emma, and Draco had all gone to the Great Hall for the meal, leaving the two professors alone.

"She doesn't waste any time, does she?" Harry asked, referring to the article.

"After something this devastating, those in power need to reassure the public that things are going to be alright," Hermione explained. "Even if the situation isn't as rosy as she painted it to be."

"But do you really think they have plans to retake the Ministry?" he pushed.

"Most likely, yes," Hermione replied. "But I'm willing to be that they're a long ways off. Right now the Ministry doesn't have the manpower necessary to pull of something of that size. Besides, from what I overheard, the wards are back up at the Ministry building."

Suddenly, the fireplace in Potter Tower flared up. Dumbledore had connected it to the floo network, but with limited access to only certain people. The green flames died down to reveal a haggard looking Remus Lupin.

"He's attacked the Prophet," Remus gasped, trying to catch his breath. "The building is burning, most of the staff dead. I only barely got out."

Harry looked at the editor of the Daily Prophet, then back down at the story on the front page. Underneath the story, there was a picture of the Dark Mark hovering over the Ministry building. "You mean just because you published the Minister?"

Remus nodded. "Voldemort knows that ever since you bought the paper and I became editor, we would use the paper to rally the public against him. I think this is his way of trying to silence us."

"What happened to the rest of the workers?" Hermione asked concernedly.

Remus sat down on one of the couches, his stamina having recovered quickly due to his werewolf physiology. "I let them floo first. The Death Eaters were on the first floor, so I was able to get most of the people on the second floor out. Those were the reporters and writers. The workers on the first floor though, weren't so lucky. They gave their lives to get the rest of us out."

"Then set up shop here, Moony," Harry suggested. "You don't use printing presses like the muggles, do you?"

Remus laughed. "No, Harry, I can't say we use anything so…primitive. We simply use a duplication spell on our original copy."

"Great. Since you still have your writers, make Hogwarts your headquarters. It would make perfect sense to be so close to the Minister and her staff, and it is a well protected location."

Hermione, though, looked aghast. "Harry, you do know you're making decisions that the Headmaster should be making. Doesn't final authority to open the school to an outside organization lie with him?"

Harry waved his hand to brush her comments aside. "He won't mind," he concluded. "We need the Prophet at a time like this. We need to be able to get our message out."

Harry was right. Dumbledore didn't care about using Hogwarts as the offices for the Daily Prophet. In fact, he thought it was an excellent idea, or so he told Harry and Hermione later that day in a meeting in the Room of Requirement. Harry had called a meeting with the Grangers and Draco, in order to work on their shortcomings from the day before, and Dumbledore had come as well.

"The Daily Prophet was not the only target today," Dumbledore announced. "The offices of The Quibbler were also attacked. Fortunately, it appears that Xenophilius Lovegood is the only permanent employee of that paper, and he escaped unharmed. His building however, has been destroyed."

"I see," Harry said, trying his hardest to appear wise. Nobody else was fooled.

"We can't let these attacks continue like this," Hermione argued. "Its only been a day since the Ministry fell, and parts of Diagon Alley have been targeted. What's next?"

"We can't be impulsive," Harry said. "If there's one thing I've learned from what happened yesterday, it's to look before you leap."

Dumbledore stroked his beard, something he always did when he was concentrating. "I agree…with Hermione. There is a time and place for contemplation, but we have had that time. In war, one must also act. The foolish general plans his strategy too much, and takes too little action. We must take action."

"What did you have in mind?" Harry asked, resigned to their idea.

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began, looking at Draco. "Was Malfoy Manor ever frequented by Death Eaters, or used as one of their staging areas?"

Draco shrugged. "Every now and then, but I wasn't allowed anywhere near the meetings. But they certainly weren't there all the time."

"I see where you're going with this," Harry said, "and it could work. You want to take a page from Voldemort's playbook. But let's take it a step further. Why not target the homes of all of the Death Eaters from the first war? The Ministry already took their livelihoods along with Gringotts, now let's take their homes."

Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "I see you are finally beginning to understand our logic. Now, I am not suggesting we go as far as the muggle General Sherman and his 'march to the sea,' but I find merit in such a strategy."

As soon as Dumbledore mentioned General Sherman, Dan began to understand. He was a little slow at times, but a muggle reference always clued him into what was being talked about. "You mean total war," he concluded.

"That's my daddy," Hermione said. "Always about a minute behind everyone else."

Dan growled good-naturedly at Hermione, who giggled in response.

Harry stepped forward, and sensing his needs, the room changed. Now, instead of a comfortable sitting room, the room transformed into a dark room with a large table in the middle. A large piece of paper covered most of the table, and a muggle felt pen appeared on it as well. The lone light hanging over the table cast an eerie glow around the room.

"So," Harry said, grabbing the pen and taking off the cap, "we strike the Death Eater houses. What are some of them we know for sure?"

"Well, there's the Malfoys," Draco suggested, "and the Crabbes and Goyles. Goyle Sr. never received the kiss after the graveyard incident, so I assume he was broken out with the rest of Azkaban."

Harry quickly wrote those three names down on the paper. "Next?" he pressed.

"There's always the Lestranges," Hermione offered. Harry nodded and wrote that name down. "And Dolohov," she added with a shudder. Harry winced as he remembered Hermione's injury, but wrote nonetheless.

After a few minutes, there was a lengthy list of Death Eaters whose homes would be targeted. Harry and the others were now determined to wipe out any and all possible safe houses that they could find, to try and keep Voldemort in one place.

Harry circled the list, indicating it was finished, before turning to another section of the paper. "Alright, now onto why I asked you all here. We need to rethink our strategies. Yesterday proved disastrous, for a number of reasons. First and foremost: why didn't the guns work?" He labeled a section 'guns' and looked up.

Dan cleared his throat. "I saw it almost immediately, but I wasn't sure what to do. From the looks of it, the Death Eaters were creating some sort of magnetic field that captured the bullets."

"But that would take an incredibly powerful magnetic field," Hermione objected. "Besides, lead isn't attracted to a magnet."

"I chose armor-piercing rounds," Dan grumbled. "They are made partially of steel. I thought it would be a smart move. Apparently not."

"So that explains it," Harry said. He looked to Draco, who had a lost look on his face. "That's right, I forgot they don't teach basic muggle science in the magical world, at least in the younger years. The Death Eaters were projecting a field in front of them that attracted the bullets to the field, pulling them away from their targets. It rendered our guns useless. I think the solution to that problem is pretty simple, don't you?" Harry asked Dan, who nodded. "We have to use lead bullets. That should help the problem at least somewhat, shouldn't it?"

Hermione looked lost in thought for a moment before she answered. "It should, at least theoretically. And now that I think about it, it makes sense. Normally, it would take a magnet the size of this room to deflect or attract a bullet. But using magic, we can do it much easier."

"Right." Harry wrote down the change in bullets. "Next up is our armor. We need to get our hands on a ward stone so that we can store magical energy. From what I've heard," he looked at Dumbledore, "they're hard to get."

"Where are they at?" Emma asked.

"Africa," Harry answered. "And apparently, they are not given out to just anybody."

"But you're Harry Potter!" Emma said. "Surely that must count for something."

"Possibly," he responded. "But I was thinking of first trying the diplomatic channels. Do you think that Minister Bones would be willing to help us out here?"

Dumbledore looked pensive for a moment. "Perhaps. I will speak to her. But even if she is willing, there is no guarantee that any of the tribal factions in that area will agree. Ward stones are mined in a magical mine, and there are only two known to exist. Neither of them are under the control of a national government, but instead under the control of a militaristic faction. It might be difficult to negotiate with them, especially given the state of our magical government."

"Then we need a backup plan," Hermione concluded.

"I guess I'll need to keep working on my animagus form, then," Harry added with a smile. "It'll be the perfect cover." He kept jotting down notes on the paper, keeping track of the conversation. As he was writing, he spoke again. "How did the armor work, anyway?"

"Madame Pomfrey says that the most serious injuries were sustained by those not wearing basilisk-hide armor, such as Professor Black. Members of the Order of the Gold Cross were still injured, but not as badly, unless they were hit by some sort of powerful dark curse," Dumbledore said. "The killing curse cannot be deflected by any armor, so those students hit by it unfortunately stood no chance of survival."

There was silence for a moment out of respect for the three students who had died. "So they worked for the most part. We just need to augment them with the shield charm for added protection. I also think we need standard issue portkeys for all members. Too much time was spent making them in the heat of battle. But speaking of that battle sort of brings us to the next topic: Hogwarts. Now that the Ministry has fallen, it stands to reason that Voldemort will plan an attack on Hogwarts next. It is the last bastion of strength in magical Britain. So what can we do about it?"

Another large sheet of paper appeared on top of the first. Harry labeled this one 'Hogwarts Defense Plan.'

"I am hesitant to turn the school into a military base, Harry," Dumbledore said. "It goes against the very concept of peace that was so instrumental in the founding of the school. Hogwarts was supposed to herald an era of tranquility, not of violence."

"This is war, Grandpa," Harry objected. "Sacrifices must be made…wait. Did you just say Hogwarts was built to usher in an era of peace?" Dumbledore nodded. "Mione, doesn't that ring a bell?"

Hermione racked her brain for a moment before the Room of Requirement caused a light bulb to appear over her head. Those in the room familiar with muggle cartoons laughed, which included Dumbledore. Hermione looked up, annoyed, but spoke anyway.

"The legend about the Dementors…" she said. "It can't be true…can it?" Draco was once again lost, but four other sets of eyes turned to face Dumbledore. His eyes, normally filled with light, suddenly darkened.

"So you've read the story of Thrayden, then?" he asked. "Then you know of the myth that he opened a portal to the underworld and released the demons contained therein?" Four heads nodded without breaking eye contact. "Very well then, I think it is time you know the full story, as it is no myth.

After the four Founders defeated Thrayden in battle, they were able to, some say with Divine help, seal the portal. The Dementors that had already escaped were trapped in this world, with seemingly no means of returning to their home. They fed on the souls of the living, and thrived on the misery of their victims, in an attempt to recreate their domain. Seeing this trait, the Council of Wizards made a pact with them to guard the newly built Azkaban prison, where they remained until recently.

Wanting to protect the world from the portal opening again, the four Founders built a great castle on the grounds where it was. These were among the most fertile magical grounds in the world, and the ideal location should anyone wish to recreate Thrayden's experiment.

Salazar Slytherin was given the responsibility of sealing the location where the original portal was created. Underneath the castle, he built a massive chamber, sealed to all except his descendants. As further protection against outsiders, he placed in the chamber, a great monster to kill all who were not of his bloodline.

Several years later, the castle was completed. To herald the new era of peace they had inaugurated, the Founders turned the castle into the foremost magical school in Europe, wanting to teach the new generation the ills of dark magic. Their hope was to help prevent the rise of more Dark Wizards. Unfortunately, as time progressed, it was clear this goal was not met.

As the years passed, the number of dark witches and wizards seemed to increase. The feeling of peace and tranquility seemed to erode as time passed. But the chamber remained sealed, protecting the world from the evil within. That is, until a student arrived by the name of Tom Riddle. I believe you know the rest of the story."

Everyone in the room was dumbstruck, especially Harry. "You're saying that there is a portal to Hell in the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked. "And that the basilisk was protecting it?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Only one with the parseltongue ability, passed down from Salazar Slytherin, could open the Chamber. When Tom Riddle learned of the legend, I believe, but am uncertain, that he wanted to reopen the portal. Finding he was unable to, he instead loosed the basilisk on the students of Hogwarts. I denied him his request to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, believing that he would only use the opportunity to open the portal. After the first war, I learned from Severus that plans were in motion to attack Hogwarts. But Voldemort was defeated by Harry here before that could happen."

Harry was silent for a moment. "Well, that certainly adds a wrinkle to things. Now we have two reasons to protect the school." He thought for a moment, concentrating on his needs, before the paper dealing with the defense of Hogwarts filled with an outline of the grounds. Only the exterior walls of the school were shown for simplicity.

"Grandpa, tell us about the wards for the school," Harry requested.

Dumbledore nodded and pulled out his wand to point at the map. "There are a number of them, organized as a set of concentric circles, getting more and more powerful as they get closer to the school. The outermost," he said as his wand traced near the edge of the Forbidden Forest, "is simply a detection ward. Just inside of that is an anti-portkey and anti-apparition ward. The blood wards Harry and I erected are tied into these." He traced another circle just inside the first. Both lines appeared on the map.

"About a hundred feet inside that ward, just before Hagrid's hut, there is another set of wards. This one, while not always active, can be activated by the Headmaster in times of distress. The wards from here on are, for the most part, considered to be war wards. The first of these is a confusion ward. While active, any who breach this ward lose their sense of purpose and forget why they are there. Should they breach that ward, the next would stun them. The final ward exists about ten feet away from all walls of the school," Dumbledore said, as he pointed his wand near the outlines of the school's walls. "It is a shield ward, which protects the physical school from magical attack."

Dumbledore then stepped back a foot or so, signaling he was done with his explanation. "Are these 'war wards' active now?" Draco asked from the other side of the table.

The Headmaster nodded. "As soon as the Ministry was taken, I activated these wards. We are now at our highest level of protection."

Harry stroked his chin for a moment. "I still think we need to be better protected. No offense, Grandpa, but the more protection, the better."

"I couldn't agree more, Harry. What did you have in mind?"

"First up, I was wondering how far out you could extend the wards? Could the anti-portkey and apparition wards be extended to, say, Hogsmeade?"

"Theoretically, yes," Dumbledore answered. "But it would take some time, and a great deal of energy to do so."

"I think we should look into it. Also, we should put a detection ward out that far too. Not too far out to where it can be tripped by the people in the village, but far enough out to give us fair warning of an attack."

"Alright, Harry, I will look into it."

"Next up, I think we need to reinforce the actual defenses of Hogwarts itself. The wards will buy us time in the event of an attack, but will not stop an army. Dan, how much training do your people have with the sniper rifles?"

"A little. But we've been more focused on the handguns, as we thought they would be needed first," Dan Granger replied.

Harry nodded in understanding. "Good thinking. But I think you should start working with them more on those. I also think we should buy a few more, as well. Grandpa, how hard is it to build onto the castle?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Hogwarts is just a building, Harry. True, there is an almost magical spirit within it, but that comes from those who inhabit the school, and the items therein. The walls are still made of stone, just like other buildings. It is the enchantments on the inside that give life to the castle. So it is not difficult to add onto the castle."

"It just hasn't been done in over two hundred years," Hermione added, once again citing Hogwarts: A History. Harry smiled at her bookishness. He could always rely on Hermione to remember inane facts that nobody else cared about.

"I was thinking of adding a few sniper points on top of the castle. Maybe one coming off of the top of Gryffindor Tower, one coming off of Ravenclaw Tower, and one on the Astronomy Tower. Those will cover three of the four sides of the school, so now we just need another." Harry labeled where he was thinking of having the sniper nests on the map.

"What about just building another tower?" Dan suggested. "Maybe some sort of armory tower, or one dedicated to the defense of the school? I mean, how hard could it be to build a tower out of stone using magic?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Mr. Granger, straightforward as usual. It is not so difficult as it is time consuming. However, to answer your other question, yes, Hogwarts does have a small armory, as it is a castle. However, the room is small, and mainly ceremonial. I believe that a new tower could serve us well."

Harry added some notes to the map. "We'll work on the details for that later, such as location and other things. For now, let's keep moving. I think we need to have a comprehensive defensive plan in place should an attack come. Any other ideas?"

Hermione piped up. "What are we going to do with the students if the school is attacked?"

Nobody spoke for a moment. It was actually Draco who broke the silence. "From the sounds of it, the school is the safest place for them. But if it comes down to the school itself being invaded, we need an evacuation plan. Unless one already exists…" he trailed off, looking at Dumbledore, who shook his head.

"It has never been needed. True, there have been a few attacks against Hogwarts over the years, but none that have required an evacuation of the students. As a result, no plan was ever drawn up."

Harry pointed the pen at Dumbledore. "Grandpa, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to assign this one to you. I think you and Grandma, as the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, would be perfect for it. You two know more about the school than anyone…except for Hermione, of course." He shot a look at Hermione, who was beginning to blush.

Dumbledore nodded in understanding and took a mental note of his assignment.

"Just two more quick things and then we'll have covered everything I can think of," Harry said. "First, Draco, I think you need to expand your air force. Open it up to all students over third year, or something like that. There was no room in the Ministry to fly around, but outside the school would be the perfect place for us to use the air to our advantage. Also, work on some strategies involving bombing. If Voldemort breaks out the Dementors, you will be our first line of defense by driving them off with Patroni. But until they arrive, try to keep the Death Eaters off guard by attacking them from the air." Draco nodded.

"Finally, we have the Chamber of Secrets. If the school is breached, and that is a big if, we need to have a backup plan. I think we need to seal up the Chamber even better than it is now. Should Voldemort make it into the school, it would be child's play for him to get down to the Chamber. I'm not sure how to do it, but we need to make sure he can't get inside." Harry glanced at his watch to see that it was nearly dinner time. "But we can work on that later. Right now, it's almost time to eat, and we've been here for about two hours. Let's work on what we've come up with for now. If any of you have any ideas for other things we can work on, please let me know."

The group parted ways and left the Room of Requirement. Harry rolled up the two pieces of paper and put them under his arm like an architect would carry blueprints. He took them back up to Potter Tower before making his way down to the Great Hall to eat.

* * *

During the meal, Hermione brought up another idea to Harry. She thought of instituting a buddy system in the Order as well. Since all three of the teams were made up of even numbers of members now, every person would have a partner, or in the case of the air force, a wingman, to aid them in battle. Harry immediately loved the idea, and the two decided to use it.

After dinner, Harry decided to pay a visit to Elizabeth in Gryffindor Tower. He had spent little time with her that day, and had actually hardly seen her at all, due to the meeting. Harry hadn't really been inside Gryffindor Tower since he and Hermione had taken their positions as Defense Against the Dark Arts professors a year and a half before, so he was actually looking forward to his visit.

As he swung open the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry saw Elizabeth and Neville Longbottom sitting _very_ close to each other on one of the couches, with a single book spread across their two laps. At least, they were sitting too close for Harry's comfort. Both seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Harry cleared his throat to get their attention. In the process, he got the attention of several other students in the common room, but he quickly waved off their stares. They were not used to having a professor in the room other than Minerva Dumbledore.

Harry's thoughts of having a pleasant chat with his daughter were thrown out the window as he saw her. "Hey, Liz," he said as naturally as possible, "wanna go for a walk?"

Elizabeth looked over at Neville, and then at her father, before going red in the face. She nodded and quickly stood up, causing the book to fall to the floor. She rushed over to Harry and took his hand, smiling as innocently as possible, before leading him out of the room. As he left, Harry shot a glare at Neville, who sunk low into the couch under Harry's stare.

As soon as they were in the empty corridor outside, Harry spoke. "What was that in there?" he asked as they began to walk in a random direction.

Elizabeth blushed. "Um, Neville was just helping me with my Herbology homework. He's really great at that," she answered.

"Uh-huh," Harry said suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. "So you were studying while sitting on his lap?"

"Daddy! I was not! We were just sharing a book, and we had to sit close to do that!"

"I'm sure," Harry muttered. "Liz, he is four years older than you. Don't you think you could have worked with someone your own age?"

"Neville's really nice, and he's smart too. You're just making this worse than it really is," Elizabeth huffed.

"He's a _boy_, sweetheart. A teenage boy at that. You can't trust him. I don't trust him."

"Oh, come on! You're the same age as he is. Actually, he's a day older than you are! Are you saying you don't trust yourself?"

"Not with your mother, I don't," Harry said under his breath. Thankfully, Elizabeth didn't hear him. "Didn't your mother and I tell you what happened to us?" he asked at a normal volume. Elizabeth nodded. "Then you know I'm actually years older than he is, at least mentally."

"It's not like I'm dating him!"

"And it's a good thing, too! You are only eleven, which is way too young to be dating. I didn't go on my first date until my fourth year, and that was only to the Yule Ball. My first _real_ date after that…actually, let's not go there. But the point is, you shouldn't be thinking about boys like this."

"I'm not! You're just making assumptions. When did I ever say I liked him? When did I say he asked me on a date? He hasn't by the way, and he won't. You're just making a mountain out of a molehill."

Harry pulled Elizabeth into a hug. "I know. I'm sorry if I'm coming off a little strong, but you're my only daughter, and I care for you. Besides, I'm a father. It's my duty to be hard on boys when it comes to you. I learned that from a very talented source."

The two walked like that, in a one-armed hug, for another fifteen minutes, before their route took them back by the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry kissed Elizabeth goodnight on the top of her head before she entered Gryffindor Tower. Harry then made his way back to Potter Tower. He found Hermione working on their lesson plans for the next week as he entered.

Harry sat down heavily on one of the couches with a sigh. Hermione looked at him strangely. "What's the matter now?" she asked.

"I caught Elizabeth and Neville 'studying' together on one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room."

"So?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean, 'so?' This is a big deal. She's only eleven for Merlin's sake!"

"Harry, don't you think you're being overprotective? I'm sure it was completely innocent, but I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few years, they become…um, good friends. Yeah, that's it. Good friends."

"Wait. You've seen them like that before?" Harry asked, wide-eyed. "Why is this the first I'm hearing about this?"

"Because I knew this is how you'd react. I know we've only been parents for a few months, so your only experience with a father is my own. I think he's been a bad influence on you, at least in one respect."

"Oh, don't talk about your own father like that, Hermione," a voice said. She turned her head to see Dan walk into the room. "From what I hear, Harry's finding out the hard way about dealing with boys and his daughter?" Harry nodded as Dan sat down next to him. "You know, Harry, if you ever need any advice, I'm right here. Besides, I still have my golf club."

"Oh, shut up you two!" Hermione exclaimed, putting her hands to her ears. Dan and Harry just laughed.

End of Chapter 23


	24. A Friendly Visit

Chapter 24

**A Friendly Visit**

The rest of December, for the most part, passed smoothly. The members of the Order of the Gold Cross injured in the battle at the Ministry ended up making a full recovery, as did Sirius Black. With the exception of the three fatalities, the Order was back at fighting strength.

Dumbledore had had the unenviable task of notifying the families of the three slain students, who had been identified as Dana Baudry, Isaiah Mccomsey, and Graham Mcphie. He had invited all three families to Hogwarts for a private meeting with him so that he could express his sympathies. However, in order to protect the identities of the members of the Order, Dumbledore said that the students were on a small school-related trip to observe the workings of the Ministry when the attack took place.

The Daily Prophet was now operating completely out of Hogwarts. Most of the staff that had died in the attack on their Diagon Alley office were photographers and administrative personnel. The writing staff had survived. As a result, the Prophet was now being published out of Hogwarts, with the Creevey brothers being used as photographers whenever needed. The school owls had also been put to use as the delivery method for the paper.

All too soon, Christmas Day arrived at Hogwarts. Due to the threat of Voldemort, no students, outside of the Slytherins, had left the school for vacation. As a result, Christmas at Hogwarts had taken on a much more festive tone than usual, as Dumbledore wanted to help ease the atmosphere of tension.

The suits of armor that normally decorated the halls of Hogwarts were replaced with snow-covered trees, and colored lights and garland adorned the common rooms. A giant tree was also set up in each common room. In the Great Hall, the charmed ceiling was changed to a winter's sky, with light snow falling and dissipating just before reaching the heads of the students. Dumbledore had even arranged for each and every student to receive one gift from the school and the faculty.

The night of Christmas Eve, Harry and Hermione had Elizabeth sleep in Potter Tower, as they wanted to spend Christmas morning together as a family. Harry and Hermione awoke at just after seven in the morning to a knock on their door. While at first they tried to ignore it, they soon found it impossible as Emma's voice drifted through the door.

"You two might want to get up. You're the last ones everyone else is waiting on," she said. But Harry and Hermione understood the implication that Elizabeth was the one who was really waiting. The two grudgingly got up, and Hermione wrapped a robe around herself before they walked out of their room together.

The four Potters had spent the previous weekend on the Hogwarts grounds, looking for a tree. Harry had never had a family outing for a Christmas tree, and Hermione had suggested that he start now. It had taken them a few hours before they found the perfect tree just outside the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was under this tree in their sitting room that a pile of gifts for all members of the Potter and Granger households lay.

"Mornin'," Harry yawned to the others as he flopped down on one of the couches.

Dan glared at Harry, instantly making the younger man feel tiny. "No, Harry. It's Merry Christmas, not 'morning.' Get it right."

Harry decided it was time to turn the tables on Dan. "That's Professor to you, Mr. Granger," he said sternly, narrowing his eyes at his father-in-law. "Don't make me take points from my favorite house, now."

Dan erupted into a howl of laughter, immediately causing Harry to break his glare. Harry looked over to Elizabeth, who was bouncing with excitement.

"You know," Harry said, eyeing her carefully, "I think we should have breakfast before we do anything else. A nice big breakfast. Then, when we come back here, we need to clean up the sitting room to make sure it's perfect. And I haven't even mentioned homework…"

"Daddy!" Elizabeth exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Hermione elbowed Harry lightly at the same time, causing Harry to laugh.

"Alright, fine. Breakfast can wait," Harry said, faking disappointment. "But I am pretty hungry…" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, Liz, why don't you do the honors and get everyone started?"

Elizabeth immediately jumped up and rushed over to the tree. She examined several of the gifts before settling on one with her own name. "Of course," Harry muttered. Elizabeth opened it to reveal a book on the workings of the magical world. Elizabeth, like Hermione, was a bit of a bookworm, and Harry had allowed Hermione to pick out this particular gift.

The next gift Elizabeth opened was from Dumbledore, and was the gift that all students received from the school. It took the form of an envelope, and when Elizabeth opened it, she let out a squeal of delight.

"They canceled final exams!" she exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione sat there in shock. This was the first they had heard about it. Even though they hadn't even thought far enough down the road to write the final exams for their classes, they still were not expecting them to be canceled. Dan, Emma, and Draco, for their part, were also delighted by the gift from the Headmaster.

The first year continued to pass out gifts to the others, and in the end, only one gift remained, and neither Harry nor Hermione had received any from the other. Elizabeth eyed the tag. "This ones for you, dad," she said, handing it to Harry. Dan gave Harry a disappointed look, but Harry just shrugged it off and began to tear at the wrapping, relieved that he hadn't noticed Elizabeth receive anything from Neville.

Inside, he found a photo album. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the same album he had seen on Hermione's bed the day he had proposed to her. But as he flipped through it, he noticed that more pictures had been added, including a number from their wedding as well as some with the two of them and Elizabeth.

His eyes full of unshed tears, Harry wrapped Hermione in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear.

"I just thought you needed to know how much you meant to us," she explained into his hair, "how much you are loved."

Harry reveled in his position before being startled out of his trance by Elizabeth's voice. "What about mum, dad? You didn't get her anything. That just seems wrong."

Harry stood up and looked at his wife and daughter. "I know it's not quite as good as what you got me, but why don't you go into our room to see what I got you," he said to Hermione. She nodded and went to the door. As she opened it, an orange blur burst out from the crack, nearly bowling her over the process.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione gasped, regaining her footing. She whipped around to see the fur ball run under one of the couches. "You didn't!" she said as she gave Harry a slightly reproachful look. Harry shrugged.

"I remember how much you liked him before, and when I went to the shop in Diagon Alley, he was still there. The shopkeeper said something about him being a menace and nobody wanting to buy him. I can't for the life of me understand why." Harry smiled broadly as, once again, Hermione rolled her eyes. She was getting into the habit of that far too early that morning.

"Um, what am I missing here?" Dan asked, interrupting the two.

"I had a cat- well, not really a cat, but for our purposes a cat- during our first life. I found him in a pet shop in Diagon Alley and fell in love with him immediately. Harry and Ron, however, weren't so fond of him. Well, Harry wasn't so bad, but Ron hated Crookshanks."

"So Harry just bought you a pet?" Dan clarified. Elizabeth squealed with joy as he said it. Hermione nodded. "Is that really a good idea? I mean, we live in a school."

"It's a great idea, daddy!" Hermione said, sounding exactly like Elizabeth had earlier. "I haven't seen Crookshanks in years. Thank you, Harry! But how'd you get it set up for Crookshanks to be loose when I opened the door? He wasn't there when we got up."

"A real magician never reveals his secrets," Harry replied smugly. However, seeing the look on Hermione's face, he quickly relented. "I had Dobby help. He brought Crookshanks into the room once we left."

Later that afternoon, after a Christmas Day feast in the Great Hall with the rest of the students and staff, Harry and Hermione returned to Potter Tower, where they promptly fell asleep. Apparently they had eaten too much turkey.

* * *

Harry awoke with a splitting headache and backache. He reached up to rub his head, but stopped as his hand touched his forehead. Harry slid his hand upwards, toward the top of his head, and immediately jerked it away and jumped out of bed. He didn't even give Hermione a passing glance as he ran to their bathroom. Even as he ran, something didn't feel right.

He looked in the mirror in the bathroom and was forced to do a double take at what he saw. Out of the top of his head, he could see a third arm protruding. It was the same length as his other two arms, but was angled so that he could reach his back easily. However, try as he might, he could not control the arm. Remembering how odd running into the bathroom had felt, Harry cocked his head and looked at his back. There he found a third leg, coming out of the base of his spine. It took him a moment, but suddenly, Harry began to laugh.

Walking back into the bedroom proper, Harry saw Hermione sitting up in bed. She had a second head growing out of her left shoulder, as well as an extra hand coming out of each elbow and an extra foot coming out of each knee. She wore a horrified expression on her face as well.

"We've been had," Harry said with a smile. "I'm betting on Fred and George."

"Tell me something I don't know," Hermione sighed. She pulled her wand out from under her pillow and muttered, "finite." Nothing happened. She tried again, still to no avail.

"Let me try," Harry suggested, and cast the same spell on himself wandlessly. Still there was no change in their condition. "Well this is just wonderful," he groaned. "It'll go over real well with everybody, I'm sure."

"Let's just go see if Madame Pomfrey can do anything about it," Hermione recommended.

"But how are we gonna get to the hospital wing without making a fool out of ourselves?"

"Have you forgotten that easily? Or have you just grown up, Harry and refuse to use it?" Hermione chastised. He still wasn't following her. "We have your invisibility cloak."

Harry almost smacked himself for his stupidity, and dug around in his trunk. After a moment, he pulled out the shimmering cloth, and he and Hermione positioned themselves under it. It was a tight fit, with the extra appendages, but they were both still physically small enough to pull it off.

The two carefully worked their way through the corridors of Hogwarts, which was a feat unto itself, as navigating two people under a cloak without talking is difficult enough as it is. However, add in extra limbs, in particular an extra leg, and the task becomes much more difficult.

Finally, after nearly tripping over each other several times, and almost bumping into a number of students, Harry and Hermione arrived at the hospital wing. As they opened the door, a hilarious sight greeted them.

Sirius Black was sitting on one of the beds being treated by Madame Pomfrey. He had four arms coming out of his back, making him look conspicuously like a spider. At the same time, he had two fingers protruding from the top of his head, almost like antennae. As soon as the door to the hospital wing closed behind them, Harry and Hermione threw off the invisibility cloak.

Sirius took one look at them before breaking out into laughter. "You too, huh?" Harry and Hermione nodded as they sat down together on one of the free beds. Harry found sitting down to be incredibly difficult, however, with the extra leg. Eventually, since he had no feeling in it, he settled for draping it behind him like a cape.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry winced at Madame Pomfrey's tone. "Why must my every waking hour be spent fixing something involving you?" She walked over to the two Potters and began to examine them.

"Hey, what about me?" Sirius whined. "You can't just leave me like this!"

"Oh, stop your whining, Mr. Black. I swear, you haven't grown up at all in the almost twenty years since you've been a student here!" Hermione stifled a giggle at the matron's tone, earning her a sharp glare. Her face became serious very quickly.

"Hmmm… I see," Madame Pomfrey said. She also made other various thinking noises, causing her three patients great concern.

"So you know what the problem is?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Oh yes, most certainly," the nurse said triumphantly.

"So, are you going to fix it?"

"I have no idea how to," she replied to crestfallen faces.

"What do you mean you 'have no idea how to?'" Sirius asked. "How can you not know how to fix us? You're the nurse!"

"Yes I am. Thank you for finally realizing the seriousness of my position, Mr. Black. I would have thought with all of the students you sent to me over the years, you would have realized that, but alas, I was mistaken. In any case, this is not normal magic that did this. From what I can tell, this is house-elf magic."

"House-elf?" Harry asked. "But we only let one house-elf get close…Dobby!"

Dobby appeared in an instant. "Harry Potter is calling Dobby?" Harry nodded seriously before pointing to his head.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" he asked dangerously.

Dobby hung his head in shame. "Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will go wear fine silks for punishment for his mistake."

"Dobby, you hardly need to go punish…wait," Harry said. "How is wearing silk a punishment? If anything it's a reward!" Hermione glared at Harry. "Not that I would have you punish yourself or anything…"

"Oh, house-elf skin is different from silly wizards. Soft things hurt house-elves. Dobby wears burlap because it is nice and cozy," the small creature replied.

Harry sighed. "Don't worry about it. But can you fix this or not?"

Dobby snapped his fingers, and the three were instantly back to normal. From then on, Harry would admit the possibly usefulness of having a third arm where it was placed. If it worked, it would make an excellent back scratcher.

"Yes, Dobby can, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby stated the obvious.

"Dobby, who put you up to this?" Sirius asked, relishing in the feel of his normal body.

"Dobby is sorry, little Master Black. Fred and George Wheezy asked Dobby to. Dobby said no, but they offered to give Dobby socks if he did. Dobby loves socks."

"That's fine, Dobby," Harry said. "You may go." With a nod, the house-elf disappeared. "Come on, Sirius, Hermione, let's go."

"Where do you think you three are going?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed. "I haven't checked you out yet to see if you're cured!"

Harry waved his hand in dismissal as he grabbed his cloak and walked out of the hospital wing, the other two in tow. Hermione shot the school nurse a sympathetic glance as the door closed behind her.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later found Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Sirius sitting in Potter Tower. It was just after five in the evening, and Dan and Emma were out wandering about the castle. Elizabeth was spending the rest of the day with her friends in Gryffindor Tower.

The portrait hole of Potter Tower opened up to reveal Remus Lupin, who entered and swiftly took a seat. "So what's so important on Christmas Day?" he asked.

"We were pranked…again," Harry explained, earning pained looks from Sirius and Hermione. Remus winced.

"Looks like they were too smart to go after me this time, though," he said. "I assume you want payback?"

"Did you even have to ask?" Sirius asked. "For Merlin's sake, Moony, you're a Marauder! Of course we want payback! Nobody pranks the Marauders twice and lives to tell the tale!" He paused for a moment. "Well, live maybe. But they'll think twice about doing it again!"

"That's the spirit, Padfoot! Send them a strongly worded letter of warning! That'll get them to stop!" Harry jested. "But in all seriousness, we have to come up with something bigger and better than we did last time."

"Harry, you can't talk about seriousness and pranks in the same sentence. It goes against the Marauder code," Hermione informed him.

"Since when do you know about the Marauder code?" Sirius asked.

"Since I started hanging out with you two," she said coyly, looking at Sirius and Remus. "Besides, I'm a part of the 'Reformed Marauders,' or so you said last time."

"Oh, yeah, right. Anyway, Moony, since you have the huge brain around here-" Sirius began.

"Don't forget about Hermione," Harry suggested.

"Right. Anyway, any suggestions?" Sirius finished.

Remus threw up his hands. "Why does it always come back to me? If you ask me, you aren't pulling your own weight around here, Padfoot."

"Fine, if you insist," Sirius grumbled. "I think we should start with ridiculing their masculinity. Real men know better than to mess with the Marauders. Besides, the prank they pulled on us, while funny, was just plain stupid. I mean, we looked like complete freaks, but it made no sense. That's what's so insulting. It's like they're just grasping for straws or something."

"Should we use Dobby again?" Draco asked. "Try and show them how to really use house-elf magic?"

Harry shook his head. "Nah. I think Dobby has had enough fun for now. I really don't think it would be fair to put him in the crossfire again."

The five sat in silence for a few moments, mulling over their options. "Alright," Sirius said finally. "Here's how we'll do it. Who here is good at charms?"

* * *

The next morning, Draco arrived in the Headmaster's office with a roll of parchment under his arm. Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore were waiting for him. They had wanted to begin planning their operations against the Death Eaters.

"I brought the plans you wanted," Draco said as he unrolled the parchment on Dumbledore's uncharacteristically empty desk.

The four crowded around the desk to find the plans for Malfoy Manor.

"It took Dobby and I a while to get everything down, but here it is," Draco explained proudly.

"Where would the Death Eaters meet when they came to visit?" Harry asked. Before burning the houses down, they planned to search them to see if they could find any indication of Voldemort's plans.

"You make it sound like they came over for tea, Harry. Honestly, you have to make it sound more sinister than that. Anyway, they usually met in Lucius's study," Draco replied, pointing to the room on the second floor. "Or in the library. It depended on how many there were."

Harry nodded, making a mental note. "And what about the wards? What are they like?"

"Just your basic anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. There's also a muggle repelling charm on the house, but other than that, not much. Oh, wait. There also might be a detection ward as well, keyed to alert Lucius if it is broken."

"So we need to find a way to get through the detection ward unnoticed. We can't really floo there like we did before, as we have too many people to make that feasible. Besides, I bet that Lucius has sealed up the floo to outsiders that he hasn't invited," Hermione concluded.

"What about having Dobby transport us inside?" Draco suggested. He had been quickly making friends with the house-elf ever since he became a Potter, and had apologized for his treatment of Dobby as a member of the Malfoy family.

Harry shook his head. "Not if we want to get all of us inside. That would take too long. How about having him disable the wards? Grandpa, do the wards at the ancestral homes work the same as the wards at Hogwarts?"

"For the most part, but they are not quite as advanced. Most ancestral homes have a small ward stone that has been in place for generations. It is usually only capable of powering a few wards at a time, and only those that cover a small area. I would assume that, as is the case in Hogwarts, that the main ward stone does not power the anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. Those are usually powered by a stone that is permanently affixed to the home."

"But do they employ the same cradle-like device that Hogwarts does?" Harry pressed. Dumbledore nodded. "Then we could just try and get Dobby to take the ward stone out of the cradle. That should lower the wards so that we could enter."

"And since we're gonna burn the house down anyway, we could use the ward stones for our armor!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly.

Harry's eyes widened. He had never considered that possibility. "Hermione, you're a genius!" he said, hugging her. "We wouldn't even have to bother with the Africans." Releasing Hermione, Harry shot a look at Dumbledore, who was smiling.

"An excellent idea, Mrs. Potter. I do believe you have solved one of our great problems. Minister Bones has been having some difficulty even making contact with tribal representatives, so your plan may be just what is needed. And as for your idea, Harry, I believe there is merit there as well. However, we must still find a way to disable the wards in the other homes. Dobby may know the location of the ward stone in Malfoy Manor, but it is highly doubtful he would know the location in the other manors."

There was silence as the others considered this particular predicament.

"What about the rest of the house-elves?" Hermione asked. "Dobby must have contacts among them, so why not ask the elves at the other Death Eater houses to disable their wards? I'm willing to bet that they aren't very happy with their treatment either."

"I'm afraid that would not work, Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said. "The other house-elves would be bound to their masters, and could not do anything to betray them, including lowering their wards. However, you do get points for original thinking," he added, trying to give her idea some praise.

Harry looked at his watch, then exchanged a nod with Hermione and Draco. "Well, I think we should sleep on this and come back again tomorrow and tackle it again, don't you guys?" The other two agreed instantly. "Well, it's been fun, Grandpa. Really, it has. But it's getting late, so we'd better get going down to dinner."

Quickly, Harry, Hermione, and Draco left the office, leaving behind a befuddled Dumbledore.

* * *

Earlier that morning, Fred and George Weasley had woken up to a strange sensation. Both of them could have sworn they were dreaming of floating. In fact, as they approached consciousness, the felling persisted. It was one of the most pleasant sensations they had felt in a while. Opening their eyes, they understood why.

They were floating. Not on air, but something else. All they could see was the ceiling of the Gryffindor sixth-year boys dormitory, and even that was about an inch in front of their faces.

Fred tried to turn over to see what was holding them up, but as he moved his arm to turn himself, it sank with a splash. Then it hit him. He turned his head slightly to see that the entire room was filled to the ceiling with water, and that the other students were still sound asleep in their beds, courtesy of a bubble-headed charm.

"Well," Fred began.

"This looks familiar," George continued.

"Not very original are they, George?"

"Not at all, Fred."

The two grabbed their wands, which conveniently seemed to be floating right next to them, and cast a bubble-headed charm on themselves, in addition to a lead-foot charm to cause them to sink. They sank to the floor and trudged to the door out of the dormitory. Opening it, they found that the water remained inside, as though there was an invisible force keeping it inside the room.

"Now that is tricky…" Fred mumbled, looking at the aquarium-like room.

The two shrugged it off before heading to the shower and getting dressed. Content that they had not been subjected to any further pranks, the Weasley twins began to make their trip down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Along the way, they passed by Ginny and her boyfriend, Draco. Both nodded curtly to them as they passed. The twins turned their heads to keep an eye on Draco until he was out of sight, before completely checking themselves over. They couldn't find any changes.

As Fred and George entered the Great Hall, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A few heads turned to look at them, and the twins heard several snickers, but they just assumed it was the usual issue about people remembering various pranks from over the years.

The twins sat down in the usual seats at the Gryffindor table, with George at Fred's right, and almost instantly, two glasses of cold pumpkin juice appeared in front of them. Since they had already been pranked once that day, neither Weasley was going to take anything for granted. So they summoned a house elf to take away the glasses that had appeared in front of them, and bring them some fresh glasses. There was no such thing as being too careful.

Once their new glasses of juice had arrived, the two twins began to dig into the breakfast feast laid out in front of them. There was a plate of sausages to Fred's left, just out of reach of the person to George's right. At one point, Elizabeth Potter reached over both twins food and grabbed the platter of sausage. She was barely able to reach it, and almost knocked over their juice in the process. But in the end, a spill was averted. Shrugging off the incident, both twins returned to their meal.

After breakfast, Hogwarts' self-proclaimed prank masters made their way to their first class. They received several snickers in the hallways, but thought nothing of it until they reached their Transfiguration class with Minerva Dumbledore. As soon as they walked through the door, she began to round on them.

"What do you two think you are wearing?" she asked angrily, putting her hands on her hips. Her tone and posture made both of the twins feel microscopic. "Since when do you think you can traipse around from class to class out of dress code?"

Fred and George looked down at themselves to find that nothing was amiss. They were both wearing standard Hogwarts robes.

"Umm…Professor," Fred began.

"We are in dress code," George finished.

Professor Dumbledore's nostrils flared. "And you expect me to believe that? I do have eyes. Ten points from Gryffindor each for failing to arrive in dress code. Return to your tower now, and do not return until you are properly attired," she said. She then turned back to her desk, waiting for the two to leave her classroom. "And you will be responsible for any work you miss," she added.

Fred and George sulked out of the Transfiguration classroom and returned to Gryffindor Tower, a journey that took nearly fifteen minutes. They were going to follow her instructions to the letter, even if they couldn't see any problem with how they were dressed. Both of them changed into another set of robes just to be safe, and began their return trip. As they walked, they realized that, by the time they got to class, it would be nearly over, the two decided to just skip the rest of the class altogether and find something more entertaining to do.

However, their hopes of finding something fun to while away the time with did not come to fruition. As they were wandering the halls, both twins suddenly felt an extremely unpleasant feeling in their lower abdomen. Specifically, it was a feeling both recognized immediately as accompanying diarrhea. Instantly, Fred and George ran, or waddled, to the nearest bathroom, and threw open the door. Finding that there was nobody inside, both claimed their own stall and locked the door behind them.

As George turned around to face the toilet, he was confronted by a horrifying sight. The entire toilet bowl was filled to the brim with very dark, nearly black snakes. The redhead instantly recognized them as adders, and slowly backed away, bumping into the stall door. Frantically, George struggled to get the lock open, and finally did so, rushing out of the stall. A second later, his twin did the same, sporting a similar panicked look on his face.

"Snakes…" George said, pointing a shaking finger at the stall he had just escaped from. "Why did it have to be snakes?"

"No…ladybugs…" Fred replied, pointing at his stall. George shot his twin a strange look. "The toilet was full of ladybugs!" Fred explained, causing George to snort.

In the commotion, the twins realized that the sensation in their abdomen had vanished, and the two left the bathroom. They quickly found that classes were almost ending, so they began the trip to the Charms classroom for their next class.

The rest of the day proceeded in a similar fashion. All of Fred and George's professors dismissed them from class for inappropriate dress, with the exception of the Potters and Sirius, who made no comment about their state of dress. They were also accosted in the halls by laughs and giggles. It also seemed as though every hour or so, the feeling of diarrhea would rear its ugly head, forcing the twins into the bathroom. However, no matter which one they went to, they always found snakes and ladybugs filling the toilets. At one point, the two switched stalls, only to find that the creatures had switched toilets as well. The entire affair made for an extremely uncomfortable experience, as the two were unable to use any toilet or bathroom at all that day.

Finally, after missing their last class of the day, the Weasley twins returned to Gryffindor Tower sullenly. Just as they were about to enter the tower, the diarrhea crept up on them again, forcing them into the nearest bathroom. As they entered, Harry rushed out, seemingly on a mission. Suspicious of Harry's presence there, the twins entered the bathroom cautiously. Once again, the toilets were filled with the creatures they feared, and once again the twins retreated from the stalls. Turning around, they saw their reflections in the mirrors. After a moment of observation, both twins broke into laughter.

"Brilliant!" George exclaimed.

"Bloody brilliant," Fred echoed.

There, in the mirror in front of them, were their reflections. However, they were not reflections of the two twins in Hogwarts robes, but instead in something else. Rather than wearing clothing that complied with dress code, Fred and George were instead wearing bright blue muggle one-piece footy pajamas. But the funniest part was what they said. Most of the pajamas were solid blue, however, just over their stomachs, there was some writing that said 'Nobody's Home!" along with two white arrows pointing down towards the twins' waists.

"Well, that explains why I've felt so warm and cozy today," Fred mused.

"You know, dear brother, we may be out of our league."

Fred whirled around to give George an astounded look. For once, the two were not of the same mind.

"George, don't say that. We could always…"

"Get them back!" George finished, regaining his inspiration.

The two turned to leave the bathroom, but as they did so, they saw a piece of parchment on the back of the door. They grabbed it and looked at it.

_Messrs. Fred and George Weasley, prankees extraordinaire, are hereby invited to a formal dinner this evening at seven. Look for the portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw. The portrait will open at precisely seven and will remain open for thirty seconds. Please plan on a good amount of time for the meal._

"Prankees? What does that mean?" Fred asked. Neither twin had ever been especially skilled in academics.

"Haven't a clue, Fred. Should we go?"

"Absolutely. Gives us a chance pay them a friendly visit and get them back." George joined in for the last several words. The two twins then cackled maniacally. Any passersby at that point would have been reminded of a stereotypical villain with a curly black mustache.

As the two left the bathroom, they could have sworn they saw two people scurry away out of the corner of their eye. But as they looked to make sure, they didn't see anything.

* * *

At six thirty that evening, the Weasley twins, dressed in their finest even though they knew nobody would see it, departed to find Potter Tower. They had no idea where it was, so they gave themselves extra time to find it. They wandered near Gryffindor Tower for almost a half hour, until, just as the clock struck seven, they turned a corner into a hall they had never been down before. At the end of the corridor, they saw a portrait swing open. Knowing that it would take them too long to walk the length of the hall in thirty seconds, Fred and George broke out into a full run towards the open portrait. They reached the open portrait just in time and…

Ran face-first into a wall.

Hitting the wall, the two fell backwards into a heap on the floor. After disentangling and dusting themselves off, Fred and George noticed a second door on the side of the hall. Rubbing their heads, they made their way towards this door, and it opened as they approached. This time, they made it through the door and into a large sitting room that had been changed to function as a formal dining room.

A long table sat in the middle of the room, covered in a white tablecloth. High-backed chairs lined the sides of the table, with one at each end as well. The walls of the room were also white now, and the window at the far end of the table was letting in daylight that could only be an illusion.

As they entered the room, Harry, who was dressed completely in black, stood up from his seat at the far end of the table. Sensing he was up to something, Fred whipped out his wand and fired a silent curse at Harry. Harry wandlessly deflected the curse with a shield, before summoning both twins' wands.

"We would be honored if you would join us," he said deeply. The portrait closed behind the twins ominously, sealing them inside.

* * *

The two sides of the table were lined with Hermione, Draco, Sirius, and Remus. There were also two empty seats, presumably fir the Weasleys. They sat down in those seats, and instantly, Dobby appeared and began placing plates of food in front of each person. The meal that night was filet mignon and a choice of several side dishes.

Everyone except for the Weasleys tore into their food, albeit in a polite fashion. The twins, however, wary of the food, sat there in silence while the others at. As they sat there, their diarrhea kicked up again, forcing them to clutch their stomachs in pain.

"Something wrong with the food?" Sirius asked between bites. Both twins shook their heads.

"We're just not…" George began.

"Hungry," his brother finished.

"Suit yourself," Sirius replied, the corner of his mouth curling into a small smile. He returned to his meal and made sure to make as many appreciative noises as possible.

Instead of fading as it had in the past, the upsetting feeling in the twins' stomachs persisted.

"So," Harry began after several minutes, putting down his fork, "we thought we should discuss a few things with you two." The twins gulped audibly. "First off, we wanted to call a truce."

The Weasleys exchanged a look before speaking. "A truce?" Fred asked

Hermione took a sip from her glass. "That's right. We just thought that this little feud was wasting valuable time and energy that we could be using to defeat Voldemort. Sure, it's fun and all, but we could be doing so much more."

"And what's more," Remus continued, "you two know that you're no match for us. We have greater experience and manpower than you two do. Face it, we've won. But we're willing to let you off with a truce."

"What's the catch?" the twins asked at the same time.

"There's no catch," Draco answered. "We would just rather call an end to this now, before anybody gets hurt. You know how it is. There's just so much paperwork if anyone gets hurt."

Silence descended on the table for several minutes, as the twins seemed to be discussing the matter silently. Finally, George spoke for the two of them.

"Alright, but the truce only applies to you," he said.

"We reserve the right to prank other students," Fred finished.

"Agreed," Harry said for his entire contingent. He leaned forward on the table. "Now onto other business. With the looming threat of Voldemort hanging over the school, we thought we should use every tool available to defend it. Therefore, we think you two should have a hand in defending Hogwarts."

Harry looked at Fred and George intently, but they didn't seem in the mood to answer, as their faces belied their discomfort. Harry could only smile and continue.

"What do you say? I have a hunch you two are working on some sort of portable swamp, or something like that. That could prove useful."

Almost on cue, the twins' faces contorted into a vortex of agony as they quickly surveyed the room, looking for a bathroom. This time the sensation was far more acute and felt more real than before.

"Can't we just continue this…"

"Another time?" they asked. Nobody else at the table was sure which twin said what.

Harry nodded. "Sure. Dobby!" Dobby appeared and vanished the plates of food, both eaten and uneaten. "Thanks for coming you two," Harry continued. The twins bolted up and made for the portrait hole. "Too bad you couldn't find it in yourself to eat dinner. From what I was told, there was an antidote in it. Oh well. I think Dobby's destroyed all of it by now." He doubted if the twins heard him, as they were already halfway down the hall.

"Should we tell them that it'll wear off tonight?" Draco asked everyone.

"Nah," Sirius replied. "Let 'em sweat it out."

* * *

That night, Harry sat in the sitting room with Hermione asleep on his shoulder. They had been watching Elizabeth and Sirius play a game of wizard's chess, and from the looks of it, Elizabeth was winning. Granted, it didn't help any that Sirius was trying to carry on a conversation with his pieces. As he watched them, Harry's thoughts began to wander as he reviewed the day's events and how they had played out compared to the plan.

_Flashback to the day before…_

"_Should we use Dobby again?" Draco asked. "Try and show them how to really use house-elf magic?"_

_Harry shook his head. "Nah. I think Dobby has had enough fun for now. I really don't think it would be fair to put him in the crossfire again."_

_The five sat in silence for a few moments, mulling over their options. "Alright," Sirius said finally. "Here's how we'll do it. Who here is good at charms?"_

_Hermione raised her hand quietly._

"_Of course you are!" Draco said sarcastically. "Is there anything you aren't good at?"_

_Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't answer._

"_Okay," Sirius continued, "I have my idea, but its not enough, nor do I think we should start out with it. Any other ideas?"_

"_I'm more in favor of having a series of smaller pranks instead of one big one," Harry said. "Easier to plan at least."_

"_So where do we start?" Hermione asked._

"_Well, last time we flipped all of their stuff upside down and put it on the ceiling," Harry said. "How about taking it a step further? I'm quite fond of aquariums myself."_

_Sirius's eyes widened in mirth. "Not bad, cub. But we should make the water stay in the room. Also, let's make it so that the twins float up to the ceiling, but their roommates don't. We'll need to cast a bubble-headed charm on each of them, as well as cast a sinking charm on them. Same thing with the furniture. But it would be easier just to put a sticking charm on that."_

_Hermione began to take notes on their plan. "Alright what else?" she asked, writing on a piece of parchment she had conjured._

"_There's also my idea," Sirius said. "Let's find a way to make their clothes appear different to everyone else, except for each other. That way, we can make their clothes look really embarrassing."_

"_Nice touch, Padfoot," Remus said. "But that might prove too difficult. Let's try it in reverse. Making their clothes look different to the twins will be much easier than doing so to the entire school. That way, we only have to charm two people instead of hundreds."_

"_So what do we want them to look like?" Draco asked._

"_Leave that to me," Sirius said. "But I think it would work better if the twins got off for part of the day thinking that nothing was up, except for the water. So we should make the switch during the day sometime."_

_Hermione tapped her quill to her chin. "It should only take two charms. Actually one, plus some transfiguration. We just need to transfigure their clothes into something different, then cast a charm so that no matter what, they see the same thing on each other. Not too hard."_

"_So says our resident genius," Draco muttered. "You know what, just to show I can, I'll do it. I'll take over this one. Sirius, just give me your idea for what you want their clothes to look like and I'll take care of it."_

"_Fine, ruin my fun," Sirius pouted. "Guess I'll have to come up with something else."_

"_How about something more suited to your…expertise?" Remus suggested._

"_Wait, you mean Sirius has expertise in something?" Harry asked, bewildered. "Great job, Padfoot! I always knew you'd grow up!"_

"_Shut up, cub," Sirius replied good-naturedly. "I'm not completely useless…I hope. Anyway, great idea, Moony. Potions it is. But what to…that's perfect!"_

"_What?" Remus asked._

"_Remember that one we pulled on old Snivellus?"_

"_Which one?" Remus pressed with a smile. "There were too many to count."_

"_Yeah, I know. But the one that kept him running to the bathroom?"_

_The werewolf's eyes widened as he realized what Sirius was suggesting. Then they suddenly lost their brilliance. "You mean you want to recycle something from years back? Have you no originality, Padfoot? Where has the spirit of the Marauders gone?"_

"_Not reuse, but more…perfect," Sirius corrected. "Add a few tweaks here and there to make it a bit better. Snivellus kept running to the bathroom for good reason, and each time he found…relief. But what if these two couldn't?"_

"_Would you mind cluing the rest of us into what you're talking about?" Harry interrupted._

"_Sorry," Sirius apologized. "We gave Snivellus a potion that caused him to run to the bathroom every few minutes one day. I won't bore you with the details about why he needed to go to the bathroom. But anyway, what if we made it so that the twins couldn't use the bathroom?"_

"_You mean charm all of them in the school?" Harry asked, bewildered. "That would take forever!"_

"_Not if we go about it the right way," Remus said, finally understanding where Sirius was going with his idea. "All we have to do is make the diarrhea potion for the twins. However, we should also make one that reveals a person's deepest fear. Almost like a boggart in a potion. If we tweak it a bit and combine it with the diarrhea potion, I think we can make it so that the two will see their worst fear when they see a toilet. They'll never want to go near them."_

"_Let's just make it last for one day, though," Hermione suggested, earning several stares from the others. "What? I have some compassion too. We can't make them suffer forever!"_

"_Fine," Sirius grumbled. "But it's always so much more fun when a prank goes on longer than it is actually funny for. It becomes painful at that point. And one of the rules of the Marauders is to always make your prank wear out its welcome. That way each successive prank seems that much more original. I think. Maybe I'm getting it wrong."_

"_You are," Remus replied dismissively. "But how will we get the potion to the twins? We did the same thing last time, only in the food, so naturally they'll be suspicious."_

_The group sat in silence for a few moments before Harry was struck with inspiration. "How much is it worth to you, Padfoot, for this to succeed?"_

"_I'd do almost anything. They got me twice, I can't let them do it again!"_

"_Elizabeth!" Harry called in an overly-sweet voice. Elizabeth came over from the other room and sat down next to Harry suspiciously. He hardly ever used her full name._

"_What?" she asked._

"_How would you like some extra credit in potions?"_

_Elizabeth looked at her father warily. "But I've already got an O in the class. Can't do much better since there's a member of the family teaching it."_

_Sirius looked shocked. "I'm ashamed at you, miss. I'd never play favorites in class!" He gave her a fake reproachful look._

"_But you could get that O-plus you want," Harry pleaded._

"_What's in it for you?" Elizabeth asked. She was taking after her mother quickly._

"_We just want to test a potion that Uncle Sirius here has been working on," Harry replied simply. "But we need your help to do it. If you help your potions professor, you get extra credit. Isn't that right, Sirius?"_

_Sirius nodded. He liked where Harry was going with this. "Oh, absolutely. I need all the help I can get."_

"_We know, Sirius. Don't keep reminding us," Harry said._

"_You know, why is it that you take every opportunity to poke fun at me?" Sirius asked. "It's like everything I say is an opening for you to attack!"_

"_Because it's true," Harry answered. "It's almost like there is someone out there writing everything you say just so that we can ridicule you. It's pretty funny actually. But anyway, Liz, what do you say?"_

_Elizabeth thought it over for a minute. She got the strange feeling that there was something else going on here that they weren't telling her. But extra credit was a powerful incentive. "Alright, I'll do it."_

"_Great!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'll get the potion to you in the morning and tell you what to do. You can count on that extra credit now, Miss Potter."_

_Elizabeth clenched her fist in victory before hopping off of the couch and scurrying back to her parents room to work on her school work. The Marauders had kicked her out of the sitting room for their meeting._

"_So that takes care of that," Hermione said, writing down more details. It seemed as though she was constantly writing, even if nothing of significance was being discussed._

"_These are all good ideas, everyone," Harry said. "But I'd like to top it off somehow. It doesn't even have to be a prank, but it'll be fun nonetheless. How about a dinner with the twins tomorrow night, to cap off the day of misery for them? I have a feeling that they'll not eat anything we put in front of them, so why don't we put the antidote for the potion in the food? That way, we can use it against them when they don't eat."_

"_Now you're thinking like a Marauder," Sirius said. "Another rule of the Marauders was to use a person's own weaknesses against them."_

"_There were never any rules of the Marauders," Remus corrected, rolling his eyes. "You're just making them up as you go."_

"_Am not!"_

"_I'm not even going to go there. I know how childish you are, and it would just devolve into pointless arguing."_

_In the end, they decided that Harry would take the lead on the dinner, and they wrapped up their meeting by discussing final details. Their plan would be put into motion the next day._

* * *

_The next day, the Marauders, minus Remus and Draco, woke extra early and crept down to Gryffindor Tower. Since they were all three members of the faculty, they were able to bypass the portrait of the Fat Lady and get into the sixth-year boys dormitory with ease. Once inside, they affixed all of the furniture not belonging to the Weasley twins to the floor, and cast a bubble-headed charm on all of the other students in addition to a sinking charm._

_Next, they all three used the aguamenti charm at the same time to slowly fill the room with water. They had cast the same charms on themselves as they had on the other students, to prevent any issues as the filled the room. After a few minutes, the dormitory was filled with water, with the exception of a few inches at the top to allow the Weasleys to breath. Just before they left the room, Hermione cast a charm to keep the water in the room, and the three left. They returned to their respective rooms to get another two hours of sleep before they had to properly wake up._

_A few hours later, Harry gave Draco the Marauder's Map, and Hermione gave him his instructions one more time. So armed, Draco left Potter Tower and found the two Weasleys on the map. Noticing that they were headed to the Great Hall, Draco put the map away just in time to meet up with Ginny. The two walked through the halls until they turned a corner to see Fred and George coming towards them._

_Draco withdrew his wand from his pocket and hid it in his hand in his sleeve. As he walked past the twins, he quickly used his wand four times, two for each twin. He turned his head slightly as he did so, making sure his aim was true, but turned back as he saw the twins look back suspiciously. Draco and Ginny turned another corner, but as they did so, Draco looked back to see that he had indeed transfigured their clothing in just the way Sirius had asked._

_Ginny and Draco made their way to Gryffindor Tower, as Draco made the excuse that he had to pick something up for Elizabeth. As Ginny was in Slytherin, she was not allowed inside Gryffindor Tower, which gave Draco free roam of the tower to do as he pleased. Instead of grabbing something for Elizabeth, he entered the sixth-year boys dormitory to find it devoid of water. Apparently the rest of the students had drained it. He then performed the same transfiguration on all of the Weasley's clothes as he had done before, making sure to put a charm on it so that it expired the next day. Draco then exited the tower._

"_Weren't you getting something for Elizabeth?" Ginny asked._

_Draco smacked himself inwardly. "Um…yeah. But I forgot I couldn't get up the girls stairs."_

"_Oh," Ginny replied. "I could go get it for you."_

"_No!" Draco exclaimed a bit too forcefully. "No, that's alright. She can just get it herself. Besides, I'm technically not supposed to let you in the Tower."_

_Ginny hung her head slightly and the two made their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast._

_Meanwhile, just outside the Great Hall, Sirius met up with Elizabeth. He gave her a small vial, which she took eagerly._

"_Now, all you have to do is make sure you are sitting next to Fred and George Weasley. They've agreed to test this potion, but they want it to be a surprise when it happens. So all you need to do is make sure they don't notice you, and just slip half of this vial into each of their glasses, alright? They'll probably switch out their first glass just to be safe, so make sure you wait a few minutes before you do it."_

_With that, Sirius entered the Hall, with Elizabeth following a minute later. Elizabeth sat down in a seat that was near where she knew the Weasley twins usually sat, and waited for them to enter. She only had to wait for a moment. As the doors to the Great Hall opened and they entered, she could hardly keep from laughing at their appearance. But she vowed to keep a low profile in order to take them unawares._

_After several minutes of eating, Elizabeth saw her opening. The twins had just had their glasses switched out, so she reached over their plates and glasses for the nearest tray of sausages. In the process, she covertly added a few drops of the potion into each of their glasses before grabbing the tray. Content with her success, Elizabeth placed the empty vial in her robe and continued to eat. She made sure that the twins took a drink from their glasses before she allowed herself to truly relax._

_The rest of the day passed uneventfully for most of the Marauders. Harry, Hermione, and Sirius made no mention of the Weasley's odd attire in their classes, but found it difficult to keep from laughing all the same. During his class with the fifth years, Harry received the Marauder's Map from Draco. After classes, Harry and Hermione donned his invisibility cloak, which they had brought with them to class that morning, and followed the twins around the school using the map. Just as they were about to enter Gryffindor Tower, the diarrhea feeling crept up on the twins again, forcing them into the nearest bathroom._

_The Potters rushed in first and performed a spell on the mirrors in the bathroom that would allow the twins to finally see their true attire. Harry also posted a short note on the back of the bathroom door before exiting just before the twins entered. The two professors then made their way up to the Headmaster's office for a meeting regarding the attacks on the Death Eaters houses. As they ran, they tripped, causing the cloak to fly off of them. They quickly recovered and turned a corner, having been exposed._

_End flashback_

Harry ended his contemplation there, realizing that everything had gone according to plan. He had even been able to pay homage to one of his favorite muggle movies with the dinner. All in all, he realized as he closed his eyes and rested his head on Hermione's, it had been a fun day.

* * *

The next week passed uneventfully, with some the leadership of the Order engaging in some light planning for their upcoming offensive against the Death Eater homes. They had decided to make their move on the Saturday before classes were to resume, in order to have the least amount of distraction possible. It wouldn't do to have student worrying about homework, Hermione postulated.

So it was, that the Order of the Gold Cross met in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom at just after dusk that evening for their briefing. Harry took center stage once all members of the group had been assembled.

"Thanks for coming everyone," he began. "We're going out again tonight, this time for a little payback. I'm sure most of you won't mind getting your hands dirty, after all it is for a good cause." He earned a few confused stares.

"Harry, you're confusing them," Hermione chided. "You haven't even explained what we're doing yet."

"Oh, yeah, right," Harry said. "Anyway, we're gonna be going after the homes of the Death Eaters that we know about. Most of them are obvious candidates from the first war, but we also have information on a few others. Our goal tonight is to search them as fast as we can, one at a time, for any intelligence we can find, then torch the place. We have a rather long list, so we want to get through as many of them as possible before dawn."

With a wave of his wand, a list of names appeared in the air above Harry's head. The list included such names as the Malfoys, Crabbes, Goyles, Lestranges, Dolohovs, Carrows, Notts, and others. The students took note of the names silently.

"I don't know if we can get through all of them tonight," Harry explained, "as we will be going as one large group. But we'll pay them a friendly visit all the same. We don't think it would be wise to split up the Order on this one, as we don't know what to expect once we get there. Anyway, we will leave in one hour. Prepare yourselves in any way you can, including your armor, and meet us outside by Hagrid's hut in an hour." With a nod, Harry dismissed the Order to go about their preparations.

Harry, Hermione, and their entourage returned to Potter Tower to change. Elizabeth had argued that she should be allowed to go as well, but Harry and Hermione had quickly shot that down. Instead, they had arranged for her to spend some time with Minerva, as Albus would be going with the Order. Sirius and Remus would also be accompanying them as well.

The Potters also dispatched Dobby to Malfoy Manor in secret. He was to disable the detection ward by removing the ward stone from its housing. He would then return to Hogwarts and secure the stone before systemically moving on to the other homes.

An hour later, dressed in their white basilisk-hide uniforms, the Order of the Gold Cross reassembled outside Hagrid's hut. They were just outside the Hogwarts wards, so it was a perfect location to portkey away from. Harry had created several timed port keys out of tree branches for their use, that would activate at exactly seven-thirty that evening, taking the group to their first destination of Malfoy Manor. He had wanted to avoid using a rope like Dumbledore was fond of doing, as it seemed uninspired and would eventually seem as though he had no creativity if he kept using it.

"Our first stop is going to be Malfoy Manor," Harry said. "We don't know what we'll find once we get there, so wands out before we leave. We have," he looked at his watch, "one minute before the portkeys are set to go off."

As he finished speaking, Ron ran up to the group from the school. "Sorry I'm late," he said, panting. "I got caught up in something."

"Fine," Harry grumbled. "Grab one of the portkeys, we're leaving in a few seconds." Harry grabbed one near him along with Hermione and the Grangers. Thirty seconds later, everyone disappeared.

* * *

They reappeared outside Malfoy Manor. Due to the night, and the naturally creepy setting, Hermione was instantly reminded of Sleepy Hollow. Bare trees rustled in the light wind, and tall grass waved on either side of the stone path leading to the house. The house itself was large and nice looking, at least to Harry, but the grounds could have frightened a Dementor.

"You lived here?" Harry whispered to Draco.

The blonde shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."

"It looks like a haunted house," Harry added. "No wonder all sorts of dark things go on there. Come on." He motioned for the rest to follow him.

As they approached the house, Draco stopped Harry just before the gate. "This is where there would be a detection ward," he warned.

Harry knew it was now or never. If Dobby had failed, they would trip the ward, alerting Lucius Malfoy of their presence. Taking a deep breath, Harry unlocked the gate with his wand and walked through. After the first step, Harry held his breath for a moment. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, he pressed forward, the rest of the Order following behind him.

They approached the house cautiously. At the front door, Harry turned to his group and nodded. Wands were held at the ready and guns were drawn. Almost immediately after their discussion about bullets, Dan had taken a trip back to New York and purchased a large amount of normal ammunition that would hopefully be impervious to magnetic shields.

The door was forced open, and Harry entered first, followed by Draco, Hermione, then Dumbledore. Those with drawn wands lit them, as the house was completely dark. In fact, it was almost suspiciously dark.

Through the limited light afforded by their wands, Harry and the rest were able to make out the various rooms on the first floor. However, from what they could see, there was nothing in any of them. No people, no furniture, no decoration at all. It was as if some force had completely removed everything form the house.

"There's nothing here," Harry announced. "Dan, Draco, you two take your groups and search the second and third floors. The rest of you stay with me. We'll go over the first floor down here to see if we can find anything."

Dan and Draco nodded before splitting up into their respective groups. Between the two of them, they agreed that Draco would search the second floor, while Dan and his party would search the third. Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, and the rest of both Orders stayed on the first floor to begin scouring it for any intelligence they could find. They needed to be in and out as soon as possible.

As Harry and Hermione were searching every corner of the main sitting room, Ginny came rushing in.

"Draco's found something," she said, and the two Potters followed her back upstairs. She led them into what had been Lucius's study, at least before it had been emptied, where they found Draco, Ron, and a few others. Draco was rifling through a folder. He looked up as Harry and Hermione entered. Dumbledore had heard the commotion and followed them upstairs as well.

"We found this in one of Lucius' hiding spots," Draco explained. "Actually, Weasel here did." Harry looked over to Ron who had a disappointed look on his face.

"Every now and then Lucius would hide papers inside a hollow shelf on the bookshelf there," Draco continued as he nodded his head towards the offending shelf. One of the thin shelves had a small door on the top of it, which was propped open. "I was just about to go through it when you came in."

"Let's take a look," Harry suggested, taking the folder from Draco and opening it. Inside, he found a thick stack of parchment with writing that Harry could barely begin to understand. Defeated, he turned the folder over to Hermione, who began to study it with Dumbledore.

Harry gave them a few moments of silence before he spoke. "So what's in there?"

Hermione looked up, annoyed. Harry immediately felt tiny and shrank back a bit. At this, Hermione's look softened. "Its full of dark rituals. I'm not sure what they deal with, but I can make out several runes that are rarely used outside of dark rituals, as well as several incantations of a dark nature. I don't know what they're for though."

"I think I can help with that, Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said. "From what I have seen of these runes, I believe that they are related to the portal resting underneath Hogwarts." Dumbledore earned several stares from the students present. "Perhaps we should discuss this later?" he suggested. Harry and Hermione nodded. Hermione handed the folder back to Harry, who shrank it and put it in his robes.

Dan entered the room just as he put the folder away. "We didn't find anything. It's like they were warned and cleared out before we got here. Didn't miss a thing."

"They did miss one thing," Harry muttered as he led the others out of the study. As they left, Harry took note of the composition of the inside of the house. While the outside was made primarily of stone and mortar, from what he could tell, the inside was comprised mainly of wood, with no stone interior walls.

Harry opened the front door. "Everyone out," he ordered, and held the door open as the Order exited. After a moment, only the Grangers, Potters, and Dumbledore remained. "Now we set fire to the house," Harry explained. "From what I can tell, its made up of a lot of wood on the inside, so it should burn quite well. We'll each take a room and cast incendio a few times for good measure. Then get out of here. We don't want to get trapped in an area with a fire. Trust me, I know," he added with a guilty smile. Hermione and Dumbledore instantly knew what he was talking about.

The group split up and each took a different room. Dan and Emma went upstairs, while the other four took various rooms on the first floor. Harry cast incendio three times, once at a bookshelf, and twice at various points in the walls. He waited a moment to make sure that the walls did indeed burn before he returned to the foyer to wait for the others. Quickly the other four rushed to meet him, chased by smoke. They exited the house and met up with the other Order members where they had originally portkeyed in.

In the eerie light cast by the flames engulfing Malfoy Manor, Harry turned to face his followers. Several of their faces were filled with guilt, while others reflected other emotions. Harry could have sworn he saw a look of sadness on Ron's face at the destruction of such a large house, and one of anger cross Ginny's. Draco was wearing a smirk, while Neville had a look of apprehension, which was typical for him.

"Next up is…" he looked at his list, "oh, what the hell? Lestrange Manor. Let's go."

Harry, as well as other adults present, began to modify the portkeys for travel to Lestrange Manor. Not knowing if there was a spy in their ranks, let alone who they were, Harry decided to randomize the order of the attacks from the list they had posted before they left. He hoped to catch some Death Eaters off-guard. By now, Dobby should have visited all of the targeted homes and disabled their wards, if he was successful.

A few minutes later, the portkeys had been adjusted to travel to Lestrange Manor, and the members of the Order of the Gold Cross once again took hold of their tree branches. Harry watched his watch tick off the seconds until the timed portkeys would activate. At just after eight in the evening, the Order once again disappeared.

After a few seconds of disorienting travel, Harry and the others found themselves in a location that looked remarkably like the one they had just left. They were on an abandoned gravel road lined with bare trees. To their right was a large fenced field that appeared to be empty. To their left was a large wrought-iron gate with two large "L's" on it, obviously standing for the Lestrange family. Inside the gate, there was a long drive with a field on each side, leading up to the foreboding looking mansion resting on top of a small hill in the distance.

"Is there some kind of rule that says that Death Eater houses have to look the same?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Nah. They just like dark brooding areas," Draco replied. "So if you ever had to describe where one lived, it would be easy, since they all live in areas that look the same." He followed Harry forward towards the gate.

"I hope Dobby did his job," Harry whispered, praying for success once again. He pushed open the gate and stepped through. As he did so, he felt a cool wave pass over him, causing him to freeze in his tracks. "That can't be good," he said.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked as she stepped through the gate herself. "Oh." She felt it too. "I think that's the detection ward."

"We'd better torch the place and get out of here as fast as we can. Screw looking for information, they'll be coming," Harry concluded. He broke into a run, with the others hot on his heels. It took just over a minute of running to cover the long drive, but by the time they did so, the door to the house opened. As it opened, the members of the Order split up into their assigned pairs for defense.

Bellatrix Lestrange stepped out onto the stoop, followed by nearly a dozen Death Eaters who had apparently used the floo to arrive instead of apparating through the wards.

"Itty, bitty, Potty! You humble me with your visit," she sneered, drawing her wand. Her band of Death Eaters followed suit.

"Dan?" Harry called, and his father-in-law appeared by his side. "Time to test your new ammo." Dan nodded and collected his gunslingers, who holstered their wands. Dan drew his gun from his hip, where he always kept it even during school, and took aim. His group did the same.

Nearly a dozen cracks like thunder echoed in the night as Dan and his troops opened fire on the Death Eaters. Bellatrix threw herself on the ground as soon as she saw Dan pull his trigger and threw up a magnetic field to attract the bullets. She was missed, but the other Death Eaters weren't so lucky, as her magnetic field did not work. The ten unidentified Death Eaters fell to the ground dead, bullet wounds between their eyes. Harry put up his hand to stay another volley aimed at Lestrange.

"Did you put us up against the rookie squad?" Harry taunted. "I mean, did you mean to make it so easy for us? Come on, you must be running out of nameless henchmen by now!"

Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, remember the first rule in the handbook of the war leader: never gloat to your enemies. It's just like the rule in the super villain's handbook: never waste time telling the spy about your evil plan."

"Yeah, fine, but it's really fun," Harry moaned. He was really looking forward to rubbing Bellatrix's nose in it. She was just standing back up, facing Harry defiantly. With a wave of his hand, Harry sealed the door to the house, effectively trapping the witch on the porch.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shouted, indiscriminately unleashing a green curse at the Order of the Gold Cross. Several students jumped to the side to avoid the beam, which left a scorched mark on the ground where it impacted.

"Is that it?" Harry pressed. He couldn't help himself, he wanted to gloat. "In case you can't count, there are more than thirty of us, and only one of you. Right, I forgot they don't teach basic math in the wizarding world. Let me explain-"

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry heard from behind him. He spun around to see a jet of light leave Neville Longbottom's wand and hit Bellatrix square in the chest. She slumped to the ground, dead. Harry raised a curious eyebrow at Neville.

"Hmm… Not bad, Neville," he said, nodding in approval. "Although, I was trying to gloat here. Couldn't you have waited until I was done to kill her?"

Neville stood there, facing the house. His wand arm was still outstretched, shaking. Hermione walked over to him and gently forced his arm down. "It's over, Neville. She's dead," she said. The young man nodded in acceptance.

"Sorry, Harry," he said softly, but quickly raised in as he found some confidence. "But I had to. I had to avenge them. My parents."

Harry nodded sympathetically as he walked over and clapped Neville on the back. "Hey, it's alright. I was just joking about the whole gloating thing. You did great, Neville. Now the crazy bitch can't hurt anyone anymore. Sorry, Hermione," Harry added, seeing the glare on his wife's face at his language. "Anyway, let's just get this over with before their reinforcements arrive."

The five who burnt Malfoy Manor entered Lestrange Manor after Harry unlocked the door he had previously sealed. However, this time, Sirius joined them. He had been in Lestrange Manor as a child, as he was related to that family. He led the others down a hall on the first floor and into the main study.

Harry positioned half of his Order just inside the front door, in the foyer, with the other half in the sitting room near the fireplace. Both groups had orders to take no prisoners while the six adults and professors searched through key rooms.

The other six split up into groups of three, one taking the study, while the other took the master suite which was also located on the first floor, just off of the study. They spent several minutes tearing both rooms apart without finding anything. Content that there was nothing of importance to be found in the house, the Potters, Grangers, Dumbledore, and Sirius returned to the bulk of the group and dismissed them to the outside. They then proceeded exactly as they had at Malfoy Manor, splitting up and setting fire to the house before exiting.

The Order waited outside the house to make sure it would burn completely before returning to the road outside the gate.

From there, they continued to portkey to several of the other houses on their list. Most of their visits passed uneventfully. At the home of the Crabbes, nobody was home, even though the house was still full of furniture. They simply assumed that everyone inside had gone out for the evening. However, at the Carrows, for instance, they once again encountered a handful of Death Eaters, who were dispatched easily, even though one student received a cut on his cheek from a wayward slicing curse. Both Amycus and Alecto Carrow were killed in the assault on their house.

In the end, nearly twenty Death Eaters were killed, and none of the Hogwarts contingent suffered the same fate. There were a few cuts and bruises, as well as some coughing due to smoke inhalation, but nothing that a quick visit to the Hogwarts hospital wing couldn't solve. Harry, meanwhile, was left wondering where Voldemort was able to get so many followers, and afford to lose them, especially after his assault on the Ministry. However, he brushed the thought aside, content to know that they had dealt a great blow to Voldemort's operation. They had raided and burned nine known Death Eater homes, greatly limiting Voldemort's possible safe houses. They had also killed a number of his followers, including one of his top lieutenants.

They also found out that the reason the wards were not disabled at the Lestrange residence was because Dobby had not reached that house yet. He was able to remove the ward stone at Malfoy Manor much faster than the others because he knew where it was. But the others took more time, and because Harry had randomized the order, he had not reached the Lestranges yet. However, since nobody was seriously injured in the Order, Harry was not angry. All in all, he was quite satisfied with the evening.

* * *

As soon as they returned to Hogwarts, the members of the Order of the Gold Cross returned to their dormitories and rooms, eager to try and get a few hours of sleep. Harry and Hermione, along with their family did the same, and were all finally asleep at just after one in the morning. Since it was now Sunday, they could sleep in as long as they wanted.

It wasn't until ten in the morning that Harry finally stirred and rose for the day. His rising from the bed in turn woke Hermione, who panicked as she saw daylight creeping through the window in their room. Normally, she rose before the sun, but since it was already light out, she bolted out of bed and busied herself getting ready. Harry could only chuckle at her antics.

"Um, Mione," Harry said as he walked into their adjoining bathroom. Hermione was standing in front of the mirror getting herself ready. Harry put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to spin around. He could see the panic evident in her eyes.

Hermione took one look at Harry and his state of dress. "Harry! Why aren't you ready? We're late!"

"Mione," he began gently, "it's Sunday. We're not late for anything, remember?"

She gave him a calculating look as she thought about it. After a moment, she let out a breath. "Sorry," she sighed, "I forgot. It's just that I'm not used to waking up this late, and…" Harry cut her off by putting his finger on her lips.

"It's okay," he whispered. "And I've got a confession as well…It's actually Monday." Her eyes went wide again for a split second before they narrowed. She slapped him on the side of his head. "Hey! I was just kidding!" he exclaimed.

"That's what you get for trying to scare me like that!" she retorted. "Now get out so I can finish getting ready." As much as Harry wanted to stay, her glare told him to get out, and he complied.

Ten minutes later, Hermione emerged from their shared bathroom refreshed, and Harry replaced her. After a shower and a few minutes of otherwise getting ready for the day, he exited. He met up with Hermione, who was sitting in their bed reading through the folder they had found the night before.

"Anything interesting in there?" Harry asked as he finished toweling off his unruly hair.

"I still don't understand half of this. I can see where Albus was coming from, saying that they're runes relating to the portal, but the rest is beyond me."

Harry gave her a shocked look. "You mean that you, Hermione, who have taken Ancient Runes classes in two different lifetimes, don't understand something about them? Good thing Remus is here. I can get the Prophet on that right away."

"Shut up, you prat," she admonished. "I think we should just take this to Albus to look at. He could probably shed more light on the situation."

"You're probably right," Harry smirked. "After all, he did say that we would talk about it later." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Let's just go," she sighed. She rose and tucked the folder underneath her arm before walking out the door. Harry followed close behind.

The two walked the halls of Hogwarts silently, passing students as they went about their business. At one point, they saw the Weasley twins meandering the halls, likely up to no good.

"Hey Fred, George," Harry said. "Give any more thought to our offer of helping us with your pranks?"

"Oh, little Harrykins…" Fred began.

"Needs our help," George finished.

Harry rolled his eyes at their annoying behavior. "Come on," he said. "Think of it this way: you can prank all the Death Eaters you want."

The twins gave it some thought for a moment, prompting Harry look at his watch impatiently.

"Okay, we'll do it," George said.

"But not for you. For us," Fred added.

"Yeah, whatever," Harry said dismissively. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, we've gotta go."

Harry and Hermione continued on their walk to see Dumbledore. Along the way, they joined up with Sirius, who was also heading to the Headmaster's office, and passed by Ron just outside the office. The three nodded to him as Sirius gave the password of "Skittles." He was not one of the ones allowed in to the office without a password. Harry and Hermione chuckled as they heard the password. Growing up in the muggle world meant they understood the password before Sirius.

"Got a thing for muggle candy, Grandpa?" Harry asked as they entered the office. The Headmaster looked up from his desk. Harry noticed a bowl of the brightly colored candies sitting on the desk. "Question answered," he said.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Black?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring Harry.

"Albus, you insist that I call you by your first name. Please call me by mine. I'm not a student anymore," Sirius complained.

"Right you are, Mr. Black, however your age and maturity level can not always be directly correlated," Dumbledore replied with a smile. Sirius rolled his eyes and groaned. "However," the Headmaster continued, "I will humor you. I will call you Sirius as much as I can remember."

"Thank you," Sirius mumbled.

"Now that that's out of the way, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked again.

"I was just coming up to see if you found anything out about that folder we found last night," Sirius explained.

"Ironically enough, _Sirius_, I believe that is why the young Potters here have paid me a visit as well. Am I correct?"

Harry and Hermione nodded in response. Hermione handed the folder to Dumbledore. "I've been looking it over a little bit this morning, and I think you're right. It definitely has something to do with the portal. But I'm not sure what."

"That, my dear Mrs. Potter, is because you are not the Headmaster. There are certain things that only the Headmaster knows, and certain ways of passing that information along when the time comes. To answer your unasked question, that information is not in Hogwarts: A History. That book contains a highly diluted history of the school and does not contain most of the secrets."

Even though she didn't show it, Harry could tell that Hermione was devastated. Her favorite book had just been discredited, to a degree. "So what do they say, then?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Dumbledore remained silent for a moment as he read the loose pieces of parchment. He stopped and held up one of the pieces. "Here, you can see a diagram of the Chamber of Secrets," he said. "I would wager that it was dictated by Tom, as he is only one of a handful of living individuals who have been in the Chamber. Now, according to this diagram, the original location of the portal was behind the giant carving of Salazar Slytherin. That is why the basilisk was stationed there. Now, according to some of these other documents, there is an extremely complicated ritual that would be needed to reopen the portal, one that uses runes as the source of its magic."

He studied the diagram again for a moment. On one of the pieces of parchment, there was a top-down view of the Chamber of Secrets, including a large, round room just behind the statue of Slytherin. It looked as though the only entrance into that antechamber was through the opening in the statue of Slytherin.

Dumbledore rifled through the pages until he found another one. This one seemed to have a closer view of the secondary chamber, complete with a lightly drawn circle in the middle of the room. It was possible that this circle was meant to represent the portal, when opened. Several complex drawings were surrounding the portal, and Harry couldn't understand any of them as he looked over Dumbledore's shoulder.

"See," Hermione said, pointing at the diagram, "here is the rune for power. But right next to it is the rune for servitude. That's what's throwing me off. I've never seen those two together anywhere."

"That is most likely because they are never seen together," Dumbledore explained. Sirius and Harry shared a confused look, but let the other two discuss the diagram. "Here, they are on the north side of the portal. That indicates their importance," he explained to Harry and Sirius. "Basically, runes to the north are the most important. Usually, two of such opposite traits would never be next to each other like this. Hmmm…what else?"

"Well, I can recognize three other runes here," Hermione said. It was clear that Dumbledore was letting her take the lead on this. "Here is the rune of darkness, which makes sense," she said, pointing to the rune drawn on the west side of the portal. "But here's the rune of light as well, to the east. Again, opposites."

Harry was reminded of his very early muggle science classes. "Could it have anything to do with the sun? The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west."

Hermione waved him off. "No, that's too simple, Harry. Besides, what would that have to do with this?"

"Actually, Hermione, I think Harry may have a point," Dumbledore said. "If we take his idea to the next level, that is. What if these runes are indicating a day and night cycle? I do not mean it in a literal sense, but in a more figurative one. For instance, in order for a new day to come, night must first fall. It could be that these runes are describing a situation similar to that."

"So darkness must rise before the light can take hold?" Sirius asked. "I don't like the sound of that. Can't we try to find another explanation? Preferably one with puppies and rainbows?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Unfortunately, I do not believe that 'puppies and rainbows' will be found here."

"Unless of course we draw the runes for them with the others. But then you might have demonic puppies and evil rainbows chasing you around," Hermione joked.

"Wait, did Hermione just make a joke?" Sirius asked. "Incredible!"

"Oh, shut up," she said. "We have more important things to talk about."

"Hey, you're the one who made the joke," Harry added, siding with Sirius.

"Ahem," Dumbledore interrupted. "At any rate, we should be getting back to the matter at hand."

"Right," Hermione said. "There is still the other rune to worry about."

"And that is?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up from the parchment.

"Death."

"Oh, that's pleasant," Harry groaned. "What's next? Fire and brimstone?"

"Hardly, Harry-" Hermione began.

"Actually, while not explicitly stated as a rune, that is a possibility," Dumbledore interrupted. "However, we do not have enough information to determine what would happen if the portal were opened again. From these runes, I can, however, surmise that death and darkness are related, and from its placement, I believe that servitude is related to the other two. But I do not believe that light and power are related."

There was silence for a moment as the four thought. "I have a theory, so let me turn it into a story," Harry said. Sirius immediately conjured a backdrop for a puppet show, but Harry banished it instantly before speaking. "The portal only opens to one who craves power, but will only receive servitude. Darkness will emerge from the portal and spread death. This is where the concept of night comes in. But then, some light will rise to defeat the darkness, brining about the day again. Does that sound right?"

"Such a rosy picture," Sirius complained.

"But a possible scenario," Dumbledore opined. "And one that we must avoid at all costs. While I fear there is nothing we can do to permanently prevent the portal from being opened again, we can take steps to protect it. In other words, we cannot make the grounds of Hogwarts any less magically fertile, but we can put up barriers to the Chamber of Secrets. That way, if the castle is ever breached, it would be highly unlikely that Voldemort could reopen the portal, if that is his intention."

"So, right now the only way into the Chamber is through the passage in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, right?" Harry asked for clarification, and Dumbledore nodded. "And only a parseltongue can open it?" Again, Dumbledore nodded. "Then we have to put up barriers in addition to the parseltongue one, so that Voldemort can't get in."

"What did you have in mind, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"A series of doors with rotating passwords," he suggested, earning a strange look from Sirius and Dumbledore. "What? Muggle security systems do it all the time. We just need to put in several passwords and then charm it to change every time the wrong one is used. That way, the right one can't be guessed randomly. But just to be safe, we would have, say, three such doors just inside the parseltongue one."

"What about going one step further?" Hermione suggested. "Why not have another barrier go up if the password is wrong? That way, the odds of failure increase almost geometrically."

Harry looked at her, confused about the last part. "Um, yeah, okay. I won't pretend to understand the last part, but the first part sounds good. Couldn't we just do that at the same time as we are building the extra tower?"

Dumbledore nodded. "In order to comply with various regulations and make sure the construction is sound, we will need to hire a magical contractor to do the construction on the school. The most respected of those is Montgomery & Burns. I will contact them as soon as possible, most likely after we are finished with this meeting."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. And I'll also cover the construction costs," Harry said. "Besides, I have to pay a visit to the goblins at Gringotts anyway. I think we should have the Aurors on our side completely, so I'm thinking of asking the goblins if they'd be available for hire to guard Azkaban."

"Excellent thinking, Harry. Right now we need all the help available. We have no indication as to what Voldemort's next target or move will be. However, there have been large numbers of disappearances among the magical population in recent days. All indications point to these disappearances being random killings by Death Eaters, but we are not certain," Dumbledore said.

"That reminds me. Last time I asked about it, you said that if the Americans ever gave us intelligence, it would be through the Ministry. Well, the Ministry is here now, and I haven't seen or heard anything from the Americans, have you?"

Dumbledore shook his head in the negative. "Unfortunately not. I do not believe that they have given us any information."

"And they certainly weren't any help when the Ministry fell. I think it's time we paid another visit to our good friend Agent Gladstone and his boss Secretary Newton."

"Do not do anything rash, Harry. You will be toying with international relations in this case. Perhaps it would be better if I were to go with you?" Dumbledore posed.

Harry waved off his suggestion. "No, I've dealt with them before, and I'll do it again. I have some say in this situation as well. Meanwhile, you can stay here and see about turning those ward stones into smaller pieces. We need to use them for batteries in our armor. And can you also talk to the Minister about having the goblins take over security at Azkaban? I don't want to do this without her consent." Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

* * *

After another half hour of discussion with Dumbledore and Sirius, Harry and Hermione left the Headmaster's office and returned to Potter Tower.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us today," Harry said as the two walked down the hall.

"We?" Hermione questioned. "You're the one who volunteered for everything. You're the one who said you'd visit the contractor, the bank, and even America!"

"But I thought we…" Harry whimpered, but trailed off.

"I'm just joking, Harry. Of course I'll come with you," Hermione said. "Besides, I don't want to leave you alone in another country with millions of single women in it, do I?"

Harry's face flushed. "I'm not sure what you mean-"

"I'm sorry, I just can't help it. You're too adorable when you get embarrassed. But I can trust you, right?"

Harry turned red again for a moment before he realized what she was doing. "You're evil, you know that?"

"And yet you married me. Seems someone has a thing for the sadistic."

Harry's eyes went wide, causing Hermione to giggle. "Who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

"You know, you fall into traps too easily, Harry." Suddenly, Hermione realized what she had said and shut her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's okay. Really it is. You didn't realize it, and its true. I do fall into traps. But I'm trying to work on that a little more and show a bit more discretion and wisdom. I have it from a good source that I need to work on those."

They walked the remainder of the distance to their Tower in silence, and before long, they had arrived. The tower was empty, as Draco was likely spending time with Ginny, much to Harry and Hermione's chagrin, while the Grangers were in an unknown location, possibly exploring the grounds or studying the library. Harry tended to think the first option was more likely, while Hermione favored the second.

The two went to the fireplace in the corner of the sitting room and used it to floo to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. The Potters greeted Tom the bartender at the pub before exiting into the wizarding shopping district. Their first stop was Gringotts bank. As they entered, Harry strode up to the first available teller with an air of authority.

"Yes?" the goblin sneered as he saw Harry and Hermione.

Harry put his best face forward. He wasn't about to stoop to the goblin's level. "I'd like to speak with Director Ragnok," he requested.

The goblin peered over its tiny glasses at the black-haired youth. "Director Ragnok is very busy, and will undoubtedly not have time to see you. Do you have an appointment?"

Harry shook his head. "I just thought he would have time to see Lord and Lady Potter about a lucrative business proposition. But if he's not interested in making a good deal of money for the goblin nation, then we will take our business elsewhere. I hear the dwarves may be interested in opening their own bank."

The goblin bared his teeth at Harry before writing something on a piece of parchment, which disappeared in a puff of smoke once he was done. Harry and Hermione waited in silence, Harry with his arms crossed in anticipation and a smug look on his face.

A moment later, an nondescript goblin appeared from a hidden door in the wall behind the teller and beckoned the two Potters to him.

"Director Ragnok will see you," the young goblin said. Harry assumed he was an intern or something similar. "This way, please."

Harry and Hermione followed the short creature through a door that seemed to disappear into the wall. They found themselves in a corridor that seemed to be carved out of stone. This caused the two customers to wonder exactly where they were and how old the building was. At least Harry was wondering how old the building was. He expected that Hermione already knew.

After several turns in the tunnel, the two found themselves in front of an ornately decorated door with a large axe on the wall on each side. The goblin intern opened the door for them, but averted his eyes from the inside of the room. As Harry and Hermione entered, he bowed to each of them before closing the door behind them.

Inside, they found an office that looked nothing like the hallway outside, as there was no stone or rock to be seen. Instead, it was a plush office, decorated with various pieces of goblin weaponry on the wall. In the center of the office sat a desk, behind which an older, bespectacled goblin sat. His nameplate said Director Ragnok on it.

As Harry and Hermione entered, Ragnok stood and bade them welcome.

"Thank you for your patronage Lord and Lady Potter," he said warmly, baring his sharp teeth at the two. The Potters sat down in chairs on the other side of his desk. "Now what can I do for you? I was told that you have a business proposition for me?"

Harry nodded before beginning. "Director Ragnok, am I correct in assuming that you are considered to be the leader of the goblin nation?" The goblin nodded. "Excellent, then I ask you to appraise our offer from both that perspective as well as yours as the Director of this bank." Ragnok nodded slowly. "I am interested in hiring a number of your people to act as guards for Azkaban prison."

"I see," the Director responded. "But why do you come to me with such a proposition? There are already more than one hundred Ministry Aurors on the island providing security as we speak. Why do you seek to replace them?"

"I trust that this office is secure and we can speak freely?" Harry asked.

Ragnok nodded. "Much of the business conducted in this office are with parties who wish to remain anonymous, or wish to protect their privacy. As such, this room is warded for sound, and I also have goblin detection wards outside of the office as well to make sure there are no others in the hallway outside."

"Good," Harry said, nodding in appreciation. "To be perfectly honest with you and answer your question, the Ministry is in shambles. I'm sure you know that at least. But the Auror corps has been decimated. I believe that we do not have the forces necessary to retake the Ministry building. Right now, I think we need all the people we can get in this war against Voldemort."

The Director sat in silence, pondering Harry's words for a moment. "Yes, war," he said finally. "It affects us all. I believe we can help you, but not by protecting the prison." Harry and Hermione's faces fell. "Instead, I believe we can lend you our help on the battlefield. You will find that a goblin warrior is quite formidable indeed."

"You mean you would declare war on Voldemort?" Hermione asked incredulously. Ragnok nodded.

"The goblin elders and I have already determined that Voldemort is not good for business and will bring back much of the animosity that led to the Goblin Wars, as you wizards refer to them. We were already on the cusp of beginning to fight him, but your appearance has finalized that decision. For the first time in history, goblins and men will be fighting side by side behind a common leader. You, Lord Potter."

"Wait, me? There has to be someone else. I mean, someone like Grandpa…er Headmaster Dumbledore. Or Minister Bones. Those two would be the more appropriate choices for a leader in this war."

"I am forced to disagree with you, milord, for several reasons."

"Humor me," Harry said, a bit more snidely than he had wanted.

"You are the one who approached us for help, meaning you are the one who understands the gravity of the situation. I have also heard of your exploits with your Order of the Gold Cross." Harry opened his mouth to object, but Ragnok silenced him by raising a hand. "There is little that avoids the gaze of the goblin nation. We know of your group, and your work there is commendable. In addition, there is the fact that you, as a small child, were able to defeat the Dark Lord. That is not something to be taken lightly. We would be proud to follow you into battle."

Harry couldn't form a coherent thought, hearing the praise heaped upon him. Seeing her husband's stunned face, Hermione raced to his rescue. "Harry is likewise honored that you hold him in such high esteem, aren't you, Harry?" she asked, poking him in the ribs with her elbow. He nodded.

"For someone whose first language is not English," Hermione began, trying to carry the conversation, "you speak it remarkably well. In fact, I would normally believe that you have spoken it your entire life."

"One of the requirements of my position is a regular dealing with the wizarding public, especially those in higher stations," Ragnok explained. "As a result, I find it useful to have a firm grasp on the language of our customers. One can hardly expect them to learn Gobbledegook and understand it just to conduct their business here."

At this point, Harry came back to his senses, after what was becoming an almost hilariously pathetic display. "Thank you for your support, Director Ragnok," he said formally, trying to regain some semblance of his dignity. "I am simply not used to being praised in such a manner as that. Please forgive me."

Ragnok couldn't help but chuckle. "That, Lord Potter, is another reason why our council chose you. Your humility in the face of not only praise but adversity is admirable. You will make an excellent champion and leader of the light."

The three exchanged pleasantries before Harry and Hermione saw themselves out of the Director's office. Ragnok had told them to contact him when the services of the goblins were needed in battle. Once the pair were safely outside of Gringotts, Harry spoke.

"I can't believe he thinks I'm a good leader! All I do is put people in danger!" he exclaimed.

"Shh! Not so loud," Hermione hissed. "We're in Diagon Alley, remember? It's not exactly safe here anymore since the attacks on the Prophet and Quibbler." That shut Harry up. "Besides, just because you don't have a high opinion of yourself, doesn't mean that nobody else can either. You're a great person, Harry, even if you don't see it. You just need to get your head out of the sand and stop wallowing in your own self-pity."

"Nothing like Hermione to give it to me straight," Harry joked. "Really, don't hold any punches. Anyway, we'd better get going to the contractor. It's after one, and we still have an international trip to make."

"I never thought I'd be thinking about international trips as a simple day trip," Hermione said.

* * *

After wandering around Diagon Alley for a few minutes, the two found a moderately sized building with a sign hanging over the door. The sign stated the business as 'Montgomery & Burns,' and Harry and Hermione entered the shop without a second thought.

The front office area they entered was tastefully decorated, with several potted plants in the corners as well as a large, semi-circular desk set against a backdrop with the company's logo. Behind the desk sat a wizard in his mid-forties, with short, graying hair, and a muggle bowtie. His nameplate said 'Mr. Smithens, Executive Assistant.'

The Potters approached him, and the nasally-voiced secretary greeted them. "Welcome to Montgomery & Burns. What can I do for you?"

"We'd like to speak with one of your contractors," Harry said. "No, wait. Actually, are one of the owners here? We've got a large project for them."

Smithens nodded before standing. "Please follow me," he said. At first, Harry thought it was odd that the person at the front desk was abandoning their post, but he took in the lack of people in the office and decided that there wasn't anything wrong with it.

Mr. Smithens led the two up a flight of stairs and down a hallway with carpet of a deep green color. It looked as though no expense had been spared in the decoration of the office, which led the two Potters to believe Dumbledore's assessment of this company being the best.

Smithens opened one of the doors in the hall for Harry and Hermione, and walked in behind them. A frail looking old man with a hooked nose looked up from his desk.

"Mr. Burns," Smithens began, "these two would like to speak with you."

Mr. Burns looked up grumpily. "Fine, leave us, Smithens. I'll have work for you later." Smithens nodded and saw himself from the room.

Mr. Burns stood as soon as the door closed. "I must apologize for my rudeness. Smithens has a bit of an obsession with me. Quite creepy actually. Now, please sit down and tell me what I can do for you."

Harry and Hermione sat as requested, before Harry spoke. "We're here to look into seeing what it would cost to build a new tower onto Hogwarts."

Mr. Burns steeped his fingers. "And I assume you come here with the authority to ask such questions, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, we're here as delegates of Headmaster Dumbledore, as well as the fact that we are also the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructors. How did you know who I was though? I never told you my name."

"Come now, Mr. Potter. You cannot believe that you can go unnoticed in the wizarding world, especially in times such as these. Everyone would recognize the boy-who-lived. And you must be Mrs. Potter, am I right?"

Hermione nodded. "So can you help us?" she asked.

"It depends on what you are looking for, and what your budget is. This company did not become the largest magical contractor in Britain through charity, so our work does have a price. However, working on Hogwarts would help us a great deal. As you can likely understand, our business has been down considerably in recent weeks due to fear over You-Know-Who. We have only remained intact because we do not take sides in this war, at least when it comes to business. I have heard of the burnings of various ancestral houses, most associated with known followers of You-Know-Who last night. If and when those families come to us for our services, we will provide them, it is as simple as that."

"You didn't really answer my question," Hermione challenged.

"Actually, Mione, he did," Harry corrected. Only he used one hundred and twenty three words to answer what could have been answered with one word. A simple 'yes' would have sufficed. You would make a great politician, Mr. Burns."

"So I've been told on several occasions. So you're looking to expand Hogwarts, are you? How much are we talking here? A new wing? A separate campus?"

"No, just a new tower," Harry said. "We just want to build a new tower so that we have four. You know, to make the school look more uniform and all."

Mr. Burns pulled out his wand and waved it, causing a stack of parchment to appear on his desk. He rifled through it for a moment before pulling out a few pieces. "Let's see here. I have here the rough heights of the other three main towers at Hogwarts: Gryffindor Tower, Ravenclaw Tower, and the Astronomy Tower. I don't know that you want one quite as tall as the Astronomy Tower, so how tall were you thinking?"

"Oh, more along the lines of Gryffindor Tower would be okay, I think," Harry supposed. "We hadn't really talked about it with the Headmaster. But since he isn't paying for the construction, I think I have more say in this matter."

"Hmmm…Based on some estimates I have here…don't ask why I have estimates for it, Gryffindor Tower would cost about five million galleons to construct. That's purely approximate, as there are delays, and material costs that fluctuate as well."

"And how soon can you get started?" Hermione asked.

"Well, for a project of this caliber, we would want to start as soon as possible. Luckily, business right now is quite slow, so I could have a team ready to go within a week at the earliest."

Harry stood, prompting Hermione to do so as well. "Great. We'll be in contact with you on details, but for now, I think you should start your preparations. We'll get back to you on the final decision once we talk with the Headmaster."

"Excellent," Mr. Burns sneered, once again steeping his fingers. He then rose and shook Harry and Hermione's hands. "I'll speak with you soon, then?" Harry nodded and the two Potters left the office and the building.

Once they were outside in Diagon Alley, Harry pulled Hermione aside.

"One last stop then we're done," he said. "Come on, grab hold." Hermione sighed and took Harry's arm. With a soft pop, the two apparated away.

* * *

The two Potters reappeared in the same alley in Washington, DC that they had apparated into when they were on their vacation. They were very near the National Mall, with the museums of the Smithsonian lining the sides, along with various other historical buildings. It was then that Harry was struck with an obvious fact.

"Um, we don't actually know how to get down to the Department of Magic," he said. "Remember, we were brought through one of their entrances, I think, not some visitor's entrance."

"Couldn't we just use the same entrance again? I don't like it here after what they tried to do to Elizabeth, so I just want to get this over with and get out of here," Hermione pleaded.

Harry agreed and the two began the trek across the Mall and up to the Washington Monument. There was light security around the pillar, but the two snuck through and made it to where they remembered the hidden door to the Department of Magic to be. Harry pulled out his wand after making sure no muggles were around, and silently cast the unlocking charm at the wall. After a moment of moving his wand across the wall, one spot opened up, a few feet from where the Potters were standing. Holstering his wand again, Harry led Hermione into the stairwell that led underground. The door closed behind them.

Harry and Hermione made the familiar walk down the long, concrete tunnel until they reached the large metal door that Gladstone was forced to perform a series of complex charms to open.

"Crap," Harry cursed. That was about as bad of a word as Hermione would let him say. "I just remembered that the door will be impossible to open. Gladstone had to do something really complex to open it."

Hermione knelt down and began to systematically examine the door, inch by inch. No words were exchanged for several minutes as she conducted her examination. After about five minutes, she was still only half way through.

"Oh, come on. This is taking too long. We're not gonna learn anything that way!" Harry exclaimed. "We might as well just do this." He balled up his hand into a fist and banged on the door a few times. The sound reverberated throughout the tunnel.

Seconds after the echo died, the giant door swung open, revealing the lobby of the Department of Magic, which looked just like Harry and Hermione remembered.

"Um, what's the point of having those complex charms if the door just opens when we knock?" Harry asked Hermione as they walked inside.

"I don't know, but since when does anything the American government does make sense? They probably had some extra money to spend, so they put it into useless security," she replied.

Harry and Hermione passed through security, submitting themselves and their wands to inspection, as well as registering their identities and reason for their visit. They gave their reason as wanting to speak with Special Agent Gladstone, and they were immediately told he was occupied at the moment, but would be available shortly. After regaining custody of their wands, Harry and Hermione made their way over to the Office of Magical Law Enforcement, and Harry conjured a pair of chairs for them to wait in.

The two waited for over fifteen minutes before Gladstone emerged from the door in the windowed wall. "Oh, you again," he muttered. "They said I had somebody waiting for me, but they didn't say who. Must be security's idea of a cruel joke."

Harry rose to greet the other man. "Nice to see you again too, Agent Gladstone. I can tell we've been missed."

"You have no idea," Gladstone murmured. "This way, please. We'll go to my office."

"I'm getting tired of offices today," Harry whispered to his wife. They followed Gladstone through the halls until they reached the same conference room that they had been in before. "I thought you said we were going to your office," Harry pestered. "This looks more like a small conference room. Oh wait, don't tell me. You don't have an office. Come on! Even I have an office!"

"Harry, don't push it," Hermione warned him in his ear.

"You know, Mr. Potter, we had a little chat about sarcasm and rudeness, remember? There is a reason you weren't welcomed with open arms when you arrived. You aren't very well liked here, for good reason," Gladstone explained. "Now, I'll try and be as patient as I can with you. All I ask is that you give me the same respect I give you. Can you do that for me?"

"Fine," Harry grumbled. "But I was having so much fun," he whispered to Hermione, who rolled her eyes.

"Now, what can I do for you?" Gladstone asked, as the three sat down on opposite sides of the table.

"We were wondering why we haven't heard anything from you guys since we were here last. Your Secretary said you would pass on intelligence you had on Voldemort's operation. Yet we've seen nothing in six months," Harry complained.

Gladstone sighed before he spoke. "That, Mr. Potter, goes back to the last thing we discussed. You are not very well liked here. As a result, your request was basically swept under the rug as soon as you left. I can't believe I'm even telling you this. However, I hope that, by being honest with you here, you might treat me with some respect."

"So you're saying that I was basically responsible for the fact that you guys didn't help us?" Harry asked.

"You have to forgive Harry here," Hermione interjected. "He normally doesn't act like this. I'm not sure why he is now, but I have a hunch that it has something to do with the fact that your Department tried to obliviate our daughter the last time we were here."

"Daughter, eh?" Gladstone said. "Congratulations are in order then. I personally was not in favor of that course of action. However, we have our standard operating procedures, and I was simply following my orders. Please forgive me."

"Wow, something in you has really changed, Agent Gladstone," Harry said. "Alright, I'll humor you and try my best to hold my tongue. Anyway, is there anything you can do to help us?"

There was silence for a moment as Gladstone considered Harry's request. After more than a minute, he spoke.

"Officially, no, there isn't. However, it would be most unfortunate for the Department if some of our files on Voldemort's activities were somehow left out on a table for others to see. Yes, that would be most unfortunate."

"Indeed," Harry said, trying his best to sound sophisticated and suave. It didn't work.

"Excuse me for a moment while I go and grab some files that I have been needing to look over," Gladstone said. Harry and Hermione nodded and the Agent left the room.

"Well he's certainly changed," Hermione observed after he had left.

"Yeah, and surprisingly it wasn't for the worse either," Harry added sarcastically.

"You know, Harry, why can't you just give the man a chance? He could have had a change of heart. You don't have to be so nasty to him all the time."

Harry didn't say anything in response, but simply sat there and let Hermione's words sink in. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Gladstone returned with a manila folder in his hand.

"This is everything we've got on Voldemort and his operation. Without going into specifics too much, we have operatives spread around the globe, and to my knowledge, we may also have one within Voldemort's ranks, or a person in contact with a Death Eater defector. I am not certain. In fact, I haven't looked over this intelligence myself yet. I think I should do so now." He opened the folder and Harry walked behind him to look over his shoulder. "Oops, it appears that you can see the information in here. How careless of me," Gladstone added dryly.

"Thanks for doing this," Harry said sincerely. "Really, I mean that. I know I've been a prat as long as I've known you, but still, thank you. I was just wondering what was behind your change in heart?"

"Let's just say that there are some things going on here that don't seem quite right. I can't prove anything, but it doesn't feel right. So I'm not going to follow the Department blindly until I can put that feeling to rest. Now let's see here."

There was silence for several minutes, with the exception of the sound of rustling pages as Gladstone and Harry went through the contents of the folder that contained the newest intelligence on Voldemort's operation. Hermione remained in her seat patiently, content to let Harry take the lead on this.

Suddenly, she noticed Harry pale significantly as he read one of the pages. She looked at him quizzically as he reread the page.

"Why couldn't we get these earlier?" Harry asked angrily. "You have no idea how many lives this might have cost!"

Gladstone threw up his hands. "Hey, I don't make the decision to share this stuff. I'm breaking more rules than I can count just showing you this."

Harry closed the folder and pulled out his wand, performing a duplication spell on the folder. He took the copy and shrank it before putting it in his pocket. He grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"We've gotta go," he said.

"Wait! You can't just make a copy of them and leave! There are charms in place to notify the Department if copies were made! As soon as you made that copy, security knew."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Screw them then. This is more important. If your precious Department doesn't want to help us save lives, then screw them. We've got more important things to do. Thank you for your help, Agent Gladstone. Now please excuse us."

As Harry reach for the door, Gladstone grabbed his arm. "Mr. Potter…Harry, wait. You'll never get out of here with the documents. They'll search you on your way out. That's standard in a security breach like this."

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Harry asked.

Gladstone thought for a moment, and as he did so, the three heard running footsteps in the hall outside the closed door. "Got it!" Gladstone exclaimed. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before. This location is warded against portkey travel in, but not out."

"Isn't that rather convenient for us?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, it is," Gladstone admitted. "We just realized a problem in those wards yesterday, so they're working on them now. If I'm right, you should still be able to portkey out." He grabbed a pencil off of the table and waved his wand over it before handing it to Harry and Hermione. Each of them took one end of the pencil.

"It'll activate in thirty seconds. I've set it to take you outside the building, and into an alley. From there you can apparate wherever you want."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Harry asked. "They'll find you here and realize you're the one who helped us."

"They won't arrest me sight unseen. I'm too senior for that. I'm just glad I could be of help."

The Potters felt a pulling sensation just behind their navel, and the last thing they saw in the Department of Magic was Gladstone walking back to the table just as the door flew open.

Harry and Hermione reappeared in a dark alley in Washington, DC, still holding the pencil. Looking around to make sure they weren't being watched or followed, Harry again grabbed Hermione's arm and apparated the two to the Hogwarts grounds just outside the wards. As soon as they materialized, Harry began to walk quickly up to the castle. It was all Hermione could do to match his stride.

"Harry, what was in that folder?" she asked.

She received no response, and instead Harry seemed to quicken his pace.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

He slowed for a moment and turned to her. "Things just got worse."

End of Chapter 24

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think! Also, just a quick note: I know that the characters do not speak in "British English," but in American English. I know that, and I understand it. I do not pretend to write these characters using British English, even though they are British. I realized it too late in this story to change it without making the characters seem different, so I will try and do it on my next story.


	25. The Sum of Rage and Hate

**Warning: **I am going to say that this chapter is rated M, just to be safe, for one scene in particular.

Chapter 25

**The Sum of Rage and Hate**

"What do you mean 'things just got worse?'" Hermione asked. Harry didn't answer her and continued forging a path towards the Headmaster's office. Hermione struggled to keep up, and before she knew it, they were riding the stairs up to the office, having bypassed the gargoyle.

Harry threw open the door to Dumbledore's office with great force. "We've got a problem," he announced.

Dumbledore peered at Harry over his half-moon glasses. "And what would that be, Harry?"

Harry pulled out the folder from his pocket, enlarged it, and threw it down on Dumbledore's desk. Intrigued, the older wizard began to flip through the pages, stopping about halfway through. Hermione noticed his face fall, much like Harry's had earlier.

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on?" she pleaded.

Harry didn't take his eyes off of Dumbledore, but answered anyway. "Voldemort has set up concentration camps throughout Britain. That's where all the people who've disappeared have gone. He's going to slaughter them."

Dumbledore raised a single finger to silence Harry. "Actually, Harry, I do not believe that is the case. It would be much easier to simply use the killing curse without transporting mass numbers of people. There is something else at play here."

"But what else could it be? All I can see is Voldemort marching his victims off for who-knows-what purpose," Harry challenged.

"We cannot be certain, Harry. But this is truly a troubling development."

"I didn't read through it enough to find out, but does it say anything in there about where any of these camps are?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore glanced through the pages for a few moments, stopping several times to pull out a few pieces of paper. After finishing going through the entire folder, he put it aside and looked over the papers he had pulled out.

"From what I can gather from these documents, the Americans have identified at least five camps throughout Britain. They are allegedly under the influence of muggle-repelling charms, as well as other various unidentified wards. However, the Americans are certain that the camps are not under the fidelius charm, as it would prove too difficult to let every new prisoner in on the secret."

"Makes sense. But I don't think we can go bursting into these camps, wands blazing, without knowing exactly what is going on in there," Hermione concluded. "We could inadvertently be playing into Voldemort's hands."

"But we've got to save those people!" Harry urged. "We can't just let them be pawns in Voldemort's game!"

"And we fully intend to, Harry," Dumbledore reassured him. "But for now, we must be patient, and gather our resources. There are photographs of the sites included in this folder. From them, I can tell that there are large numbers of Death Eaters guarding each facility. It would be foolish to attack them at the current time."

Dumbledore handed Harry a series of moving surveillance photographs, obviously taken by a magical satellite. Harry could see several buildings that looked vaguely like barracks, each surrounded by a fence. There was also a larger fence surrounding each complex. Harry could only assume that there were magical defenses as well. Stationed outside each building were several figures, which could only be Death Eaters. Over a dozen were visible in each photograph, and there were likely more out of sight.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Harry asked, resigned.

"We wait," Dumbledore said confidently. Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. "But we do not sit idly," the Headmaster continued. "There is a fine line between being patient and abetting the enemy. We will gather what information we can about the defenses of each camp before we act. I agree that we cannot let the camps stand any longer than necessary. But we cannot be reckless. That would only lead to greater casualties. Mrs. Potter, how is your animagus form coming?"

"I've almost got it down," she replied. "I can do pretty much every part of my eagle form, just not all at the same time. That's all I've got left to do."

"Excellent. While these surveillance photographs are indeed useful, I believe that some first-hand knowledge would help us greatly. Hermione, once you achieve your complete transformation, I think that you would be perfect to scout out the camps for us from the air. Meanwhile, if I am not mistaken, young Mr. Potter, not you Harry, would be useful to survey from the ground in his snake form."

The three continued to converse about the implications of the latest revelation, as well as their errands, before Harry and Hermione returned to Potter Tower. They each took a short amount of time before going to sleep to practice their animagus transformations, as they did every night. Finally, at just after ten in the evening, the two Potters retired.

* * *

One evening over a week later, Harry's focus on grading his class's Christmas break assignment was snapped by Hermione's excited yelling.

"Harry! I did it!" she exclaimed, bursting into the sitting room from their room. She threw herself at Harry, landing on his lap, spewing parchment everywhere. She had also knocked the wind out of her husband.

Gingerly getting up off of Harry's lap, leaving him wheezing. It took him almost a minute to regain his breath.

"What did you do?" he asked tentatively, wanting to avoid a repeat of what had just happened.

"I transformed! I did the entire transformation!" To prove her case, Hermione closed her eyes for a split second before she smoothly transformed into a large eagle. She remained in that form for a few moments before somewhat jerkily transforming back to her human form. "I still need to work on that part," she admitted sheepishly.

"No, you did great, Mione," Harry said sincerely. He stood and wrapped his arms around her. "You even beat me."

"You'll get it soon," she responded. "I know you will."

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry sighed.

"Oh, come on," she said, rolling her eyes. "Go ahead and try it now. Concentrate. Believe that you can do it on the first try."

"But I won't," Harry whined.

"That's exactly why you haven't gotten it yet. You keep thinking that you need to keep practicing. Imagine yourself as the lion. Not part of yourself, but your entire body. Believe you are the lion. If you believe it, you become it. At least that worked for me," Hermione suggested.

"Fine."

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He visualized the lion. His lion. He saw it on the African savannah, chasing after its prey. He could feel himself running along beside it, he could feel the air rushing through his hair. Harry reached out to touch the lion as it ran, and as he touched it, everything stopped. There was no wind, there was no exhilarating feeling of running. Slowly, Harry opened his eyes and saw that the sitting room in Potter Tower was taller than before, as was Hermione, but only slightly.

"Harry, you did it!" Hermione squealed, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. He tried to open his mouth to speak, only to find a roar emerge, causing Hermione to giggle. "Go on, Harry, try it out. Walk around a little."

Harry did just that, and took several steps around the room. He found it awkward to try and walk on four legs, but after just a few steps, he grew accustomed to it. As he approached the portrait hole, it opened, and Draco stepped inside.

"Merlin!" he screamed, pulling out his wand and aiming it at Harry.

"Wait, Draco! Don't!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't hurt him, it's Harry!"

Draco lowered his wand. "That's Harry? He finally did it? Great job, mate!" Draco slapped Harry on his back, and out of instinct, Harry heard himself growl, causing the blonde to back away slowly. Harry would have to learn to control his more primal instincts. He returned to Hermione and sat down on his haunches.

"Now all you really have to do is visualize yourself again to transform back. It's harder than it sounds, but not that hard once you get the hang of…" She was cut off as Harry transformed before her eyes. "Well that was convenient."

"Actually, the whole thing of me being able to transform on the same day as you after we've both been trying for months is terribly convenient as well," Harry observed. "Oh well, let's try not to dwell on it too long. I have a better idea. Come on, Mione." Harry rushed into their room and emerged a moment later carrying his Firebolt. Hermione had an idea of where he was going with this, so she followed him out of the Tower, leaving a puzzled Draco behind.

A few minutes later, Harry and Hermione emerged from the castle onto the school grounds. They walked for a short time away from the castle before Harry stopped.

"So I take it you haven't tried flying yet?" he asked Hermione. She shook her head. "Then let's try it now. I know you aren't the biggest fan of flying, but you'll need to get used to it. I'll be up there on my broom in case anything goes wrong. But more importantly, I always like to fly with you, so this is just another chance for me to do that."

Hermione smiled weakly at Harry's words before shifting into her eagle form. Harry mounted his broom and rose a few feet into the air above Hermione. She began to beat her wings and slowly rose into the air. Harry kept an eye on her as she continued to rise unsteadily, and he rose with her, making sure to stay a few feet below her once she got into the air. After a few moments, the two were two hundred feet in the air, or so Harry estimated when he looked down. At this point, Hermione stopped rising and instead began to beat her wings to hover.

Hermione took in her surroundings, which were breathtaking from the altitude they were at. She could see for what seemed like miles, beyond the Forbidden Forest, and she thought she could also see smoke rising from the chimneys in Hogsmeade. Wanting to stretch her wings a bit, and not intending to make a pun out of it, Hermione set off in a glide towards the Forbidden Forest, and Harry took off after her on his broom.

The two soared for what seemed like hours, flying over the castle, skimming the water of the Black Lake, and surveying the Forbidden Forest like never before. Hermione had been flying on only a few occasions, but this time made her feel more free and alive than ever before. She could finally appreciate Harry's fondness for flying.

As the sun began to set, Hermione angled herself towards the ground and began her descent, with Harry following closely. Once they reached the ground, Harry dismounted and approached Hermione, who transformed back to her human form as he walked. She immediately rushed over and kissed him.

"That was great, Harry!" she said excitedly. "I've never felt so alive before!"

"What have you done with my Hermione?" Harry asked in mock confusion. "She'd never admit to enjoying flying. She hates it."

Hermione slapped the side of Harry's head playfully. "Shut up, you prat," she said. "I've just never experienced flying like I did just now. I can understand why you like it so much."

"So since you admit it, I guess I win the bet. Looks like you have to-"

"There was never any bet!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. Remember, I bet you would admit you liked flying once you achieved your transformation?"

"There was never any bet!" she repeated. "You're just making that up." She noticed Harry attempt to subtly reach for his wand. "And don't you dare think of using confundus on me!"

Harry's hand quickly returned to his side and he shrugged. "Well, it was worth a shot," he admitted, earning a glare from Hermione. "Come on, it's getting late. We should tell Grandpa in the morning so that we can visit one of the camps as soon as possible." Hermione nodded and followed Harry back into the castle.

As they entered the castle, they encountered Dumbledore.

"Ah, Harry, Hermione, just the pair I was looking for. Harry, remember that tomorrow Montgomery and Burns will be arriving to begin surveying for the new tower. They will need a down payment sometime tomorrow, so if it is not too much of an inconvenience…"

Harry put up his hand to silence the Headmaster. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," he said.

"Excellent, Harry. I always know I can count on you. Now forgive me if I pry, but what were you two doing outside at such an hour?"

The two Potters looked around to make sure they were alone in the entrance hall. They were. "We achieved our transformations," Hermione said, earning a smile and eye twinkle from Dumbledore.

"How do you do that eye thing?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Harry," Dumbledore said slyly, feigning innocence.

"You know exactly what I mean. How do you make your eyes twinkle?"

"You mean to tell me that when I am amused, my eye twinkle? How remarkable. I must look into that further. If you'd excuse me, I have some research to conduct. We will discuss this more in the morning. Good evening." Dumbledore quickly walked away from the two, leaving Harry and Hermione to wonder at his words.

"What do you think is up with him?" Harry asked.

"He probably doesn't want to reveal his secret," Hermione answered. "It might be a trademarked Headmaster ability or something."

"Oh well, let's get back," Harry said, taking Hermione's hand. The two made the long walk back up to their tower. When they entered, they found Dan and Emma in a passionate embrace, among other things. Even though they were still fully clothed, Harry and Hermione closed their eyes and silently felt their way into their room, closing the door behind them.

"That was the last thing I needed to see," Harry moaned, throwing himself on the bed.

"I'll have nightmares for weeks," Hermione added. "Not to mention that image will be burned into my brain for the rest of my life."

"Well where did you think you came from?" Harry asked.

Hermione put her hands on her ears and began to hum loudly like a young child would. Harry could only laugh.

* * *

The next morning, Harry and Hermione awoke within minutes of each other. They seemed to have a system down to where the second would wake almost immediately after the first. After nearly a half hour of showering and getting ready, the two left their personal apartment within Potter Tower and made their way towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

As they sat at the Head Table in silence, Mr. Burns approached them. "Ah, Mr. Potter, just the person I was looking for?"

"What're you doing here?" Harry asked between bites.

"We begin surveying and construction of the new tower today. As I am functioning as the general contractor for this project, I have received permission from the Headmaster to stay on campus until we are finished."

"I see," Harry said slowly. "Now what can I do for you?"

"Quite to the point, you are, Mr. Potter. Let me get to the crux of the matter. In order to begin construction, we need a certain, how shall I put this, down payment from you. Just a demonstration of your interest in this project as well as your good faith."

Harry put down his fork. "And how much are we talking here?"

Mr. Burns' eyes rolled back into his head as he thought for a moment. "Well, since the total project is estimated at just over five million galleons, I believe that a down payment of ten percent should be adequate. How about five hundred thousand galleons?"

Harry nodded and reached into his robe to pull out his checkbook, which he remembered to bring with him today, anticipating the need. He conjured a quill and began to write. Finishing the check with a quick signature, Harry handed the piece of paper to Mr. Burns.

The old man folded the check and placed it in his pocket before shaking Harry's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. We should be able to get started immediately now. I've spoken with the Headmaster about the particulars of the tower, such as location and some basic design elements, so we should be ready to begin. If you'll excuse me?" Mr. Burns took his leave of the Potters, and departed the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione were left sitting at the table in awkwardly.

"Well that was weird," Hermione commented.

"Not to mention awkward," Harry added. "Couldn't he have picked a better time for that than while we were eating?"

Hermione finished eating and balled up her napkin and put it on her plate. As she did so, her plate disappeared magically. A few moments later, Harry did the same, and the two left the Great Hall to make their way to their first class with their first year students.

Twenty minutes later found the two professors standing in front of the first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

"Alright, so we're gonna start the new term with some fun," Harry announced with a mischievous grin. "In other words, that means a project." Groans were heard from almost every student in the room. Harry's smile grew wider. "You'll also be giving presentations about your project. I know, you'll all love that. I personally hated presentations when I was in school, but I'm sure you all love them."

Hermione stepped up and put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Stop it, Harry, you'll scare them all away. Not that they can leave, of course. This class is required. Anyway, back to the projects. You'll split into teams of two and will each be assigned a spell. You will research the spell, along with its uses and history. Then you will give a presentation to the class of at least ten minutes detailing all of the information you found as well as demonstrating the spell to the rest of us. Any questions so far?"

A hand flew up in the back of the class.

"Yes, Miss Callaghan?"

"Will we be assigned a partner?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No. We think that by now you should be mature enough and know your classmates well enough to choose your own partners. But don't just choose your friends. If your friend doesn't take the class seriously, you don't want them to drag your grade down. So take that into consideration when choosing. Consider this an experiment to see how group assignments go. Any other questions? Good. Now onto what we're going to deal with today. Harry?"

"So today we're gonna start a unit on magical creatures," Harry began. "I was thinking of starting with Cornish Pixies, how about you, Hermione?" Hermione let out a snort. "I'm just joking. Actually, we'll be talking about werewolves and their weaknesses. For this, we've invited a good friend of ours to give a guest lecture. Please welcome Mr. Remus Lupin."

The doors at the back of the classroom opened and all heads turned as Remus strode down the center aisle.

"While none of you were here for it, Remus was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher here at Hogwarts for just about two years, leaving due to unfortunate circumstances a year and a half ago. Now please give him your undivided attention," Harry finished. Harry and Hermione took a seat in two empty chairs near the back of the class and let Remus have the floor.

Remus cleared his throat before beginning. "Thanks, Harry. Now I haven't done this in a while, so forgive me if I'm a bit rusty. I'm just not used to lecturing anymore. Anyway, we're here to talk about werewolves. There are indications that Voldemort may be recruiting heavily amongst them, and you need to know everything possible about them to defend yourself if it ever comes to that. So let's start at the beginning." Remus waved his wand and a large blackboard seemed to materialize from the ceiling and form a wall behind him. It was as tall as the ceiling and as wide as the room itself.

"Now, lycanthropy, or the 'werewolf condition' is not hereditary. That is to say that it is not passed from one generation to the next by way of blood. Instead, the only way to contract lycanthropy is through being bit by a lycan. That's a werewolf. Out of respect for the victims, we will not refer to them as 'werewolves,' but as lycans." As Remus spoke, bullet points were written on the giant chalkboard, and brief notes of what he had said were also written.

"Once bitten, a person is usually infected with the condition. There are cases where the victim never shows symptoms of lycanthropy, despite being bitten. But those cases are rare. At any rate, the most widely known symptom of lycanthropy occurs once a month. On the full moon every month, every lycan transforms into a werewolf. You know what, I've changed my mind. When referring to the wolf form, I will use 'werewolf.' Otherwise, I will use lycan. Anyway, on the full moon, each lycan transforms into a werewolf. At this point, the victim literally loses their mind, every shred of humanity lost. It is instead replaced by a feral sense of animal instinct. Any questions so far?"

No hands were raised.

"That could only mean that you aren't interested or I'm doing a really good job explaining things," Remus concluded. "I'm not sure which it is. Oh well. Anyway, there is a way to maintain one's sanity while in werewolf form. It is known as the Wolfsbane potion, and taken prior to the transformation, it will allow the lycan to keep their human mind. It is quite helpful, actually.

Now, that information only applies to lycans on one day of the month. But what about the rest of the month? What are they like every other day? For the most part, you can't tell a lycan from any other person. However, they do have heightened abilities that others do not. For example, a lycan's sense of smell is far superior to a regular witch or wizard. They can smell things that others cannot. At the same time, a lycan has increased stamina and strength, making them formidable opponents in battle."

A student in the second row raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr…"

"Walpole, sir," the student replied. "I was wondering, if lycans are so tough, how do you defeat them?"

"An excellent question. Lycans have one weakness that others do not, one that can prove lethal. To a lycan, contact with silver is deadly. While it is far from the only way to kill a lycan, silver is quite possibly the most effective, should you have access to any. However, there are other ways to bring them down. The killing curse, as vile as it is, is not quite as effective on a lycan as on other witches and wizards. When struck with the killing curse, a lycan is sent into shock, but is not killed. Only a second killing curse can finish them off completely.

Should you ever find yourself up against a lycan, the most effective way of dispatching them would be through a severing charm or something similar. As I said before, a killing curse is less effective. But if you are able to sever their head, that would kill them instantly. I know it sounds gruesome, but in the heat of battle, the last thing on your mind is decency. Also, if you are ever unfortunate enough to find yourself up against a werewolf, it will be much more difficult to kill them. If they are not under the influence of the Wolfsbane potion, they will not have a semblance of a human mind. Be wary of this, and plan accordingly. The best advice I can offer to you is to run away. However, if you insist on staying, the killing curse is your best option."

Remus paused for a moment to let his words sink in before he continued to speak.

"As of right now, there is no known cure for lycanthropy, only the Wolfsbane potion, which helps with the symptoms. Now, I think that's everything I wanted to cover today, so are there any questions?"

None of the students raised their hands.

"Wow, that makes me feel really good," Remus said sarcastically.

"Actually, everything said today will be on the next exam," Harry announced. "So if you have any questions, its best to ask them now while we have the expert here instead of waiting until later."

Instantly, several hands shot up, and Remus chuckled as he began to call on the students. It took the rest of the thirty minutes in the period for all of the questions to be answered. After dismissing class and thanking Remus for helping, Harry and Hermione had a break of just over an hour before their next class. They decided to use that time to speak with Dumbledore, as their brief conversation the night before yielded very little.

As they entered the office, Dumbledore turned to face them. He had been looking out the window from his office, which conveniently faced the corner of the school where the new tower was being built.

"What can I do for you two?" he asked.

"Well, I was wondering about your eye twinkle," Harry said.

Immediately, Dumbledore's face darkened. "I am sorry, Harry, but I believe that there are more pressing matters at the moment. I'm afraid that Minerva was wanting to speak with me."

Hermione elbowed Harry before she spoke. "Actually, we're here to talk about those concentration camps."

Dumbledore's face brightened again. "I believe that Minerva can wait while we speak." Harry rolled his eyes at the older wizard's antics.

"So we both were able to transform yesterday," Hermione said, repeating what had been said the night before. "We were thinking we should be able to go scout out the camps now. But Draco can't come with us since he isn't able to transform completely yet."

The Headmaster stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps. However, I am hesitant about sending two novice animagi into a dangerous situation such as this without more practice. Harry, you spoke last week about having the goblins on your side. Do you think you could convince them to scout out the camps?"

"Most likely," Harry answered, "but from what I've heard, the goblins are better at brute force than covert surveillance. I don't think they'd be the best ones for the job. Maybe when we assault the camps we could call on them for help."

"While I believe you are getting a bit ahead of yourself there, Harry, in discussing an attack on the camps, I believe that you may be correct in your assessment."

"Just let us go," Hermione begged, earning stares from both Dumbledore and Harry. She blushed as she realized how odd that sounded for her. "Erm…I think we would be the best ones for the job," she amended.

Harry and Dumbledore smiled at her, which caused her to turn an even deeper shade of red.

"Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore began, forcing Hermione to pay attention to him instead of her own discomfort, "remember that you do not need to ask for my permission to do anything. While I always wish that you would seek my advice on matters such as these, the decision is ultimately up to you. And I do trust your sense of judgment. However, I also believe that more practice is required before the two of you are ready for this mission. But make no mistake: it is my belief that the two of you will be perfect for this assignment. In time, that is."

"So we're basically between a rock and a hard place," Harry concluded. "We _have_ to scout out the camps to find out what's going on there and how well they're guarded. We can't just attack them first. But at the same time, every moment we waste preparing and practicing is time that another person could be killed there."

"Unfortunately, Harry, that is the situation."

Hermione had been silent for a minute. "What if you came with us?" she suggested. "To make sure nothing goes wrong? We don't want to take the whole Order with us, as that could draw too much attention. But what if it was just the three of us?"

That got Dumbledore's attention. He thought on the matter for over a minute, leaving Harry and Hermione to silently pray that he would rule in their favor.

"I agree to your terms," he said finally, "only if you two agree to do nothing reckless. You will also allow me to take control over the entire operation. When I say to disengage, you will do so. Is that understood?"

Both Harry and Hermione nodded. "I am not doing this because there are no other options, but because I understand the importance of stopping whatever plans Voldemort might have involving these camps. There are likely better alternatives that we could use, but as time is of the essence, this is the best option I can think of. Let me make some preparations and meet me back here this evening." With that, Dumbledore sat down at his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, signaling the end of the conversation.

Harry and Hermione left the office and made their way back to their classroom, where they would wait for fifteen minutes for their next class to start. After their classes, they would return to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

Seven hours later found Harry and Hermione leaving the Great Hall once again after finishing their supper. They had used every spare moment in between their classes that day to practice their transformations up in their office. Hermione had likened it to 'cramming' before an exam, something that she normally did not do, but considering the circumstances, she was willing to do so.

As night began to fall over Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione entered the Headmaster's office for the second time that day, having made a brief stop back at their rooms to change into their Order armor. Dumbledore had finished the modifications to the ward stones, and had given Harry and Hermione each one to test the new shields for their armor. The only issue was that the armor would not protect either of them in their animagus forms. They entered the office to find Dumbledore with his wand out, and his beard slowly shrinking. His hair was also now cropped close. The two waited for a short moment as Dumbledore finished, his beard now a neatly-trimmed goatee.

"On time as usual, you two," Dumbledore observed as he placed his wand back in his solid black robes, which was unusual for him. But he paused as he took in the Potters' appearance. "No, no. That won't do at all," he said, motioning at their white suits. "You will be too easily spotted. Some simple temporary transfiguration should do the trick." He waved his wand and instantly, Harry and Hermione found themselves also clad in black.

"Now, I have taken the liberty of planning out tonight's…frivolities," Dumbledore said. "Hermione, you will be the designated scout. In your eagle form, you are the most obvious candidate. Harry's lion form would be too…conspicuous. However, under the cover of night, you could fly over the camp relatively safely. To ensure your safety, Harry and I will be a good distance away, keeping track of you. We will charm our glasses to act similarly to a pair of muggle binoculars. If anything goes wrong, we will be there to help."

Hermione nodded, only now realizing the implications of what they were about to do. She had been so excited about their mission, but only now was it beginning to resonate with her. But she steeled herself and accepted the task they were about to undertake.

Dumbledore pulled out a length of rope as a portkey. Harry and Hermione exchanged smirks and a look that questioned where Dumbledore managed to get so much rope. The Headmaster then led the other two out of the school and outside the wards. From there they used the portkey to travel to an unidentified part of the English countryside. Apparently Dumbledore had done the research about the exact locations of the camps.

They appeared amidst a grove of trees, shrouded by the darkness. In the distance, if they squinted, they could just make out the outline of some buildings, buildings that they could only assume belonged to the concentration camp set up by Voldemort.

With an almost imperceptible nod to Harry, Hermione smoothly transformed into her eagle form. As she did so, Harry realized he would have to come up with a better Marauder name for her than Mrs. Prongslet. Before she left, Dumbledore charmed his and Harry's glasses so that they could provide a closer view of the camp, while being adjustable, as well as a night-vision charm.

With the charms in place, Dumbledore signaled for Hermione to take flight. She did so, quickly leaving Harry and his great-grandfather behind. Harry kept watch over her as she flew into the distance, focusing on her glowing green form in the darkness.

* * *

Hermione glided in the night sky, gradually approaching the camp in the distance. She could easily make it out in the darkness due to her enhanced sight, so she was able to approach from a high altitude to avoid being spotted.

As she got closer to the camp, Hermione angled herself towards the ground slightly, steadily reducing her altitude. She wanted to be able to make several slow, low passes over the camp in order to possibly get a feeling for what was going on there. Finally, after soaring for several minutes, Hermione came within earshot of the camp and its series of barracks.

She could see several Death Eaters stationed around each building. There were usually one or two at each corner. For the most part, they were actually sitting, engaging in various activities such as conversation, or in one case, Hermione could have sworn she saw a pair playing some variation of poker. In total, Hermione counted four barrack-like buildings, split into two rows of two. At the head of the camp, there was one larger building in the center that looked to be some sort of administration or guard building. Trees surrounded the camp on all sides but the one behind the guard building, and just like they had seen in the photographs, fences surrounded the camp as well as each building.

Hermione swooped low over the camp, trying to memorize its layout and guard positions. Mentally, she called to the Sorting Hat back at Hogwarts, and asked it to allow her to communicate with Harry.

"_Alright,"_ she said mentally to him, _"there are five buildings all together, four of which I think are for holding prisoners. There are also four Death Eaters guarding the outsides of each prisoner building. I think there may be more inside."_

"_Yeah, we saw that in the satellite photos,"_ Harry replied. _"But what else? Can you learn anything about what they might be doing there?"_

Hermione didn't respond but instead landed on the roof of one of the barracks buildings, and tried to listen into the Death Eaters below. However, she heard nothing of interest, and instead found that the Death Eaters were discussing whether or not more homes would be burned after the campaign the Order had gone on over a week before. If she had been able to sigh in disappointment, she would have, but instead, she tread lightly over to one of the small vents in the roof and peered inside.

Inside she could make out rows of cots, even though she could only see a few because of her limited view. The light inside the room was dim, but Hermione could make out several figures lying in the cots.

"_There are people in the buildings, laying in cots, Harry," _she said. _"That doesn't sound like something that Voldemort would do if he was just going to kill them."_

"_No, it doesn't,"_ Harry responded through the link. Hermione could almost hear him stroking his chin thoughtfully. _"Just a minute, Mione."_ Hermione sat, perched on the roof silently for a few moments before she felt Harry's presence again through the link with the Sorting Hat. _"Mione, do the people in there look like they've been fed?"_ Harry asked.

Hermione took another look through the small vent. The people she saw inside looked healthy, as though they were simply at a muggle summer camp.

"_Yeah, they do,"_ she replied. _"But why would Voldemort go through all this trouble just to kill them?"_

"_I don't think he's gonna kill them,"_ Harry said. _"It's something else. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think there's something else at play here. I'm just not sure what."_

"_Can you see if there are any Death Eaters inside the buildings?"_

"_I see at least one, but I can't see very much. I'm looking through a small vent, and the view is pretty limited. Wait a second. Someone's coming."_

Hermione inched her way to the front of the roof and peered over the edge as a great hulking man who appeared to be ill-kempt approached the building. She recognized him immediately.

"_Harry, Fenrir Greyback's here."_

"_What! What could Voldemort be doing with werewolves? Oh, no. I think I know what he's up to. He's breeding his own army of werewolves. Their his own brand of super-soldiers. But why? He could just enlist the help of some of the other werewolf clans. It doesn't make sense."_

"_You're right, it doesn't. Let me get closer to see what I can find out."_

Hermione inched her way closer to the edge of the tin roof, only barely keeping herself perched on top of it. She needed to find out for sure what they were up to in the camp. As she leaned over the edge slightly to see Greyback enter the building, she lost her footing and toppled over the edge, creating a loud racket as she did so. She tried to take flight during her fall, but couldn't manage to do so before she hit the ground ten feet below. The last thing she saw was several Death Eaters converging on her with their wands drawn just before she blacked out.

* * *

Harry saw Hermione fall through his enhanced glasses, and also saw the Death Eaters fire some curse at her as she lay prone on the ground, transforming her back to her human form. The next thing he saw was the Death Eaters taking turns kicking and firing spells at Hermione, who appeared to be unconscious. Without giving it a second thought, Harry leapt into action, springing from his hidden location with a leap. In midair, he smoothly transformed into his lion form and began to barrel at full speed towards the compound nearly a mile away.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, apparated as close to the campsite as the wards would allow, and broke into a run towards the compound. He knew he would likely be too late to help, but he could only pray Harry would be there before him.

The wind whipped through Harry's mane as he tore towards the Death Eater camp and his endangered wife. He dodged trees on both sides, his enhanced feline sight allowing him to see in the nighttime darkness. In the distance, he could see the concentration camp approaching quickly, and he could make out several Death Eaters in the main courtyard. He could only hope he wasn't too late to save Hermione.

Just over a minute later, Harry burst through the main gate of the camp, and with ferocious energy streaked towards the four figures clad in black. For the first time since he had managed his transformation, Harry let the lion inside of him take over as he brought his claws to bear on another.

Screams echoed in the night as flesh was torn.

In his primal rage, Harry tore into the Death Eaters. Blood mixed with soil to create a grisly mud. Harry left his first victim dying on the ground, clutching his open abdomen. Entrails littered the earth.

Harry turned to the next victim and tore his left arm from the socket. All that was left was a bloody stump of a shoulder. With a swift motion, Harry bit into the Death Eater's neck. With a great rip, and a shower of gore, the Death Eater crumpled to the ground.

The next Death Eater fell to the ground as Harry slashed him open from throat to waist. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The final Death Eater watched in horror as his companions were brutally dispatched. He fired a shaky curse at Harry, which was easily dodged. Harry launched himself at the man, toppling him to the ground. Harry lay on top of him and began to claw at his face with reckless abandon. Splatters of blood littered Harry's face.

The entire episode had lasted only a few seconds.

It was at this time that Dumbledore finally arrived. The sight that greeted him was one of unabashed carnage. Despite his years of experience at seeing the most terrible sights imaginable, it was all Dumbledore could do to keep from wretching right there.

The soil ran red with blood, a great lake of it formed by the collective deaths of the Death Eaters. Remarkably, from what Dumbledore could tell, the form of Hermione Potter lay untouched by the slaughter, no blood touching her. It appeared as though the Death Eaters had tried an animagus-reversal spell on her. Such spells were highly dangerous.

It was then that Dumbledore saw Harry ruthlessly tearing into the face of a fourth Death Eater. Dumbledore could see the man's leg giving one final twitch under Harry's girth, yet Harry continued to maul the carcass.

"Harry," Dumbledore said softly. Just as he reached out to touch Harry's shoulder to get his attention, over a dozen more Death Eaters came into view, likely from their posts throughout the camp. With a practiced motion of his wand, Dumbledore silently stunned all of them, buying him and Harry a good deal of extra time.

"Harry," Dumbledore repeated, touching Harry lightly. The great lion tensed up, and slowly turned to face the old wizard. Blood dripped from his fangs, and red splotches covered his face. His eyes shone with a primal fury that gave Dumbledore goose bumps. The Headmaster was sincerely frightened at that moment. But he adopted a kind tone in order to try and calm Harry down. "We cannot stay here long. We must tend to Hermione."

With a growl, Harry moved next to Hermione's still body and curled up around her to protect her. Dumbledore made a move to examine her, which only elicited another feral growl from Harry.

"Harry, I am only going to attempt to examine Hermione. I will not harm her. You know that. Trust me, Harry," Dumbledore pleaded. With a long appraising look, Harry gave an almost imperceptible nod, allowing Dumbledore to continue.

At last, Dumbledore was given access to Hermione, and had the ability to finally see her battered body. She was bruised and bloodied, but it was evident that it was not the blood of the Death Eaters, but her own that was drying on her skin. However, what frightened Dumbledore the most was the light imprint he could see on her head. With a trembling hand, he caressed the spot, only to find it softer than it should be. His breath catching in his throat, Dumbledore moved his hand to Hermione's neck to search a pulse. After pausing for a moment to be sure, Dumbledore relaxed as he felt a very weak pulse.

"She is alive," he announced, relieved. "Weak to be sure, but alive nonetheless. We must get her to Madame Pomfrey, and if need be, St. Mungo's."

At that moment, it was as if the sky opened up and great drops of rain began to cascade from the heavens. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Harry regained his human sensibilities and transformed back into his human form.

"It will not be long before reinforcements arrive, Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "We must leave this place now. If not for our sakes, for Hermione's."

Harry sat in the mud for a moment before he nodded apprehensively. He gathered Hermione up in his arms and stood shakily, before carrying her through the wreckage of the gate he had destroyed only minutes before. The two walked silently to the edge of the wards before Dumbledore apparated away to Hogwarts. With one final tearful look back at the camp, Harry followed suit and apparated himself and Hermione to the school.

* * *

Hermione Potter opened her eyes slowly. She had become so comfortable in the all-encompassing blackness that had swallowed her. It had surrounded her like a comforting cocoon, enveloping her, welcoming her to its embrace. Yet, just as she succumbed to its lure, she found herself being drawn towards a lone point of light in the distance. Before she knew it, she found herself waking again to a blinding whiteness.

Her eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness, but as they did so, she realized that she was looking at nothing. She could see nothing aside from whiteness. There were no distinguishing landmarks of note, only white stretching in infinitely in every direction. Turning around in an attempt to figure out where she was, Hermione was suddenly aware of a presence near her. Upon further reflection, she realized that the presence was not near her, but around her. It was surrounding her, filling the entire void. But it seemed concentrated behind her.

Turning around slowly, Hermione came face to face with her long-dead paternal grandfather, Gordon Granger.

"Grandpa?" she asked hesitantly, desperately wanting it to be true. He was her favorite. The grandparent all children look up to, the one who made every moment a joy, and who brought happiness to the hearts of his grandchildren.

The old man smiled kindly. "No, Hermione, I am afraid not. I chose this form for you, as Gordon Granger was a man you looked up to and cared for deeply. But I am not he."

"Then who are you?" Hermione asked, bringing her guard up slightly. Her inquisitive side was getting the best of her.

Gordon Granger chuckled. "I gave you an intellect greater than your contemporaries, Hermione, yet you do not use it. I go by many names, but in your tongue, you may call me God."

Hermione stood in awe for a moment before speaking. "But why am I here? The last thing I remember was falling from a roof."

"You are here at a crossroads, Hermione," God replied. "When you fell from that roof, you were not injured, yet you were attacked by followers of Voldemort. Though your body still lives, you are, for all intents and purposes, dead. You have a choice to go back, back to a world filled with strife and anguish, yet with the ability to make a difference, or to go onto the next great adventure. The question you face is, which path will you chose?"

"Given those options, the choice is easy. Harry needs me, I can't just abandon him. It's not my time yet."

"No, you are correct in that, Hermione. In more ways than you can know. It is not time for Harry to suffer such loss in his life, but it will come soon. The time for suffering and loss is to come, and there will be tears shed before the end, of that you can be sure."

"Can't you give us any help at all?" Hermione asked.

"You have always been one to challenge the status-quo, Hermione," God said, smiling. "In time, you will have the assistance you seek. But it is not time for that now. For now, you must press onward. Your role in this tale is a great one. If Harry Potter is to be the savior of the world, you are to be his rock and anchor. You cannot waver, you cannot falter. He trusts you with all of his being, and for good reason. Now, our time grows short. You have made your decision, and you will reawake in your body. But for now, rest."

"Wait!" Hermione said urgently, trying to stop the image of her grandfather from leaving. "I have another question. Harry always told me that I was the heir to Rowena Ravenclaw, at least magically. How is that possible? I come from a muggle family."

Gordon Granger smiled. "You must broaden your thoughts, Hermione. What is the difference between what you call a muggle and a squib? Knowledge. Everyone on Earth is descended from a magical line. Both muggles and squibs are non-magical, true. But that is the result of genetics. The only difference between them is that a squib knows of their magical heritage, while a muggle does not. Therefore, there is no such thing as a non-magical person, in the most literal sense. You are descended from Rowena Ravenclaw, however, it has been many generations since your family has seen magic. It has become a recessive gene. Now, I believe that we have talked enough. You have a husband who has not left your side. I believe you should return to him. Until we meet again, Hermione, goodbye."

As the last words trailed off, Hermione found her eyelids growing heavy, and within seconds, the brilliant white room was once again black, but this time it was due to sleep.

* * *

Two days had passed since Harry and Dumbledore had returned to Hogwarts with Hermione's still form. It was now eight in the morning, two days later, and there had been no change in Hermione's condition. Despite this, Harry had not moved from her bedside in the Hogwarts hospital wing except for to use the loo. Dobby had brought him meals, allowing him to stay at Hermione's side day and night. Dumbledore and Sirius had even been kind enough to cover his classes while he was away. The Headmaster had also mentioned that, due to the circumstances, he would enlist the help of the goblins to attack the concentration camps as soon as possible. Harry's participation was not required.

Madame Pomfrey, having examined Hermione extensively, had determined that she had fallen into a coma due to her head injuries. While the nurse had managed to repair the physical injuries she could find, she told Harry that only time would tell whether Hermione would recover. Despite their magical abilities, witches and wizards were no more able to heal a brain trauma than muggles were. That was the only reason Hermione was still at Hogwarts instead of at St. Mungo's; it would have done no good.

At that precise moment, Harry found himself reading aloud to Hermione from her favorite fiction book, Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

"'All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby-Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it,'" he read.

That particular passage struck home with Harry. He couldn't help but see some similarities between the Captain Ahab in the book, and himself, at least when it came to his rampage two nights prior. He paused his reading and closed his eyes, remembering that night, and the carnage he had caused. He shuddered to think that his animalistic instincts had caused that sort of devastation. But at the same time, Harry was not remorseful. He had no regrets. Hee would do it all again if given the chance, if it was to save Hermione. That is what it all came down to. That was the reason he had given himself over to the beast within. Hermione had been in danger, and he would do whatever it took to protect her.

Harry closed the book with his free left hand, his right had been holding Hermione's at every opportunity. His eyes still closed, Harry felt himself falling into the comfortable embrace of sleep, and began to let the tendrils of unconsciousness take hold of him.

Just as he was about to drift away, Harry was jerked back to consciousness by movement. But it was not just any movement, it was movement in his right hand. He opened his eyes and was met by the most wonderful sight he could remember. Hermione. His Hermione, was opening her eyes. After they had been closed for two days, the thing Harry wanted more than anything at that moment was stare endlessly into them.

"Hey," he said gently instead. "Nice of you to join us in the world of the living."

Hermione gave him a half-hearted smile. He had no idea how right he was. She tried to move and sit up, but was quickly held down by Harry.

"Don't try to move, Mione," he said. "You're still recovering from what happened. Don't try and push yourself."

Hermione nodded and laid back down, this time on her side, facing Harry. She noticed the closed book laying on his lap, and smiled.

"You remembered," she observed.

"Remembered what?" he asked, confused. She nodded at the book. "Oh, of course I remembered. Do you think I would forget something like what your favorite books are?" He puffed out his chest slightly in pride, causing Hermione to giggle painfully.

"Just…thank you," she whispered after she calmed down. She snuggled into her pillow and closed her eyes. Seeing the look of contentment on her face, Harry placed the book on the table next to the bed and rose from his seat. He walked around to the other side of the bed and lifted the sheets before sliding into bed next to his wife. He snuggled up against her, and wrapped one arm around her waist, burying his head in her hair. Harry hadn't had a restful night's sleep since Hermione had been injured, and he fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

"Honestly, I leave you two alone for five minutes and this is what happens!"

Harry opened his eyes slowly at the shrill voice berating him. It sounded familiar, yet he couldn't place it in his stupor. As the fog clouding his vision cleared, he noticed Madame Pomfrey standing with her hands on her hips, and an angry look on her face. Harry smiled sheepishly and waved slightly with his free hand, which caused the nurse to roll her eyes in disgust.

Harry threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching. Why he was stretching after sleeping for only a few minutes was beyond him, but it just felt like the right thing to do.

Madame Pomfrey was still glaring at him, and began to open her mouth to scold him again when Harry put his finger to his lips to silence her.

"She's back," he whispered. "She's just asleep."

Poppy's face softened as she heard this, even though her hands were still placed firmly at her hips.

"That doesn't excuse…this," she said, motioning between Harry and Hermione.

"Why not?" Harry challenged. "I haven't slept in days because I've been here. She just woke up out of a coma. So why can't I lay down next to her and get some sleep? What's so wrong with that?"

Madame Pomfrey didn't have an answer, and instead put her angry look back on her face.

It was at this moment that Hermione began to stir again. The lack of Harry pressed against her back was oddly disconcerting, and was rousing her from her slumber. She stretched slightly and yawned as she opened her eyes.

"See?" Harry said, gesturing to Hermione, who was looking at Madame Pomfrey inquisitively.

The matron snorted in contempt before pulling out her wand and proceeding to cast various diagnostic spells on Hermione. This procedure went on for over ten minutes, with Harry leaning against the wall opposite Hermione's bed, waiting patiently. By now, Hermione was sitting up against the headboard of the bed.

Finally, when she had finished her examination, the school nurse spoke to both Potters. "I cannot detect any trace of head trauma," she said. Harry and Hermione smiled broadly at each other at this news. "However," Madame Pomfrey interrupted them, "I would like for Mrs. Potter to remain in the hospital wing for another week for observation. Injuries this serious rarely heal so quickly and completely, so I would like to conduct further tests and keep an eye on you."

"Is that really necessary?" Hermione asked. "I mean, I feel fine. I feel great in fact. A little sore, but nothing that some moving around won't solve."

But Harry would have none of it. He was prone to escaping from the hospital wing when it was his own body on the line, but he would not allow Hermione to jeopardize herself in any way like that.

"No, Hermione. Listen to Madame Pomfrey, she knows what she's talking about. I think you should stay here, at least until she gives you the all-clear to leave."

Hermione's eyes widened at Harry's words. "Since when do you agree with Poppy?" she asked. Technically, the two Potters were allowed to call the nurse by her first name, as they were all three faculty members.

"Since your safety depended on it. I know I've never really been one for following her suggestions, but when it comes to you, I don't want to risk it."

"Traitor," Hermione snarled as she crossed her arms across her chest. Harry just laughed.

It was at this moment that a brilliant burst of orange flame erupted at the foot of Hermione's bed. As it cleared, it revealed the magnificent form of Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix and familiar. In his talons he clutched a piece of parchment. As Harry approached the fiery bird, Fawkes stuck his leg out, as a post owl would, allowing Harry access to the roll of parchment. As soon as Harry took the it, Fawkes once again disappeared in a burst of flame.

Once the room had cleared of flames and smoke, Harry unrolled the parchment to find a message from Dumbledore.

_Harry,_

_I did not wish to disturb you, as the school wards alerted me to Hermione's awakening. I am extremely happy for her improved condition. Please meet with me in my office at your earliest convenience to discuss a matter of importance._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_P.S. This letter will self destruct in five seconds. I've always wanted to do this._

Harry read the last line and dropped the parchment instantly, where it spontaneously combusted as it hit the floor. He chuckled as he recognized the muggle reference.

"What was that?" Hermione asked. Madame Pomfrey had retreated to her office, leaving Harry alone with his wife.

"Just a note from Grandpa. He wants to talk with me as soon as I'm available. Says its something important. I think he just wanted to make an scene, so he sent Fawkes."

Hermione giggled behind her hand for a second. "Why don't you go talk to him now," she suggested afterward. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know that, but that doesn't mean I don't want to spend the time with you. You're going to be here for another week, so I want to be here with you."

"As much as that means to me, Harry, I don't know if you really believe what you're saying. Remember, you hate it here. You hate the hospital wing, and always do whatever it takes to get out of here. I don't think you'll last twelve hours before you run screaming from this room and jump off the top of the Astronomy Tower."

"Then you underestimate me. I've been here for two days already, so don't think I couldn't do it."

Hermione smiled at him. "Just go. See what he wants, then if you're up to it, you can come back here. Not that I expect you to, however," she added with a grin.

Harry walked up to her and kissed her forehead. "You can count on it. I'll be back as soon as I'm done." With that, he went to the doors, and with one last look back at Hermione, he left the hospital wing.

It took Harry just over ten minutes for Harry to traverse the great distance between the hospital wing on one side of the school, and Dumbledore's office on the other. The gargoyle granted him access without a password, as usual, and Harry rode the stairs to the door at the top. Opening the door at the top, he found Dumbledore in a conversation with Mr. Burns, who was seated on the side of the desk opposite the Headmaster. Seeing Harry enter, Dumbledore cut his conversation with the contractor short.

"I think that sums it up quite well, Mr. Burns. However, if you would excuse me, I have a pressing matter I must attend to," he said.

Mr. Burns shot a look between Dumbledore in front of him and the newcomer, Harry. Nodding with understanding, he rose and took his leave, passing by Harry as he exited the office. Harry sat down in the chair that the old man had just vacated.

"What's going on, Grandpa?" he asked.

"I took the liberty of meeting with the goblins, as we discussed, Harry," Dumbledore began. "They agreed, since I spoke as your representative, to attack the camps. They seemed to understand the gravity of the situation should Voldemort breed an army of lycans."

"Alright…" Harry said, wondering where the new information was.

"At any rate, I received word a short time ago that the raids on the several camps were conducted last night. A battalion of goblin soldiers were dispatched to each one we knew of, with orders to kill all Death Eaters, but not harm other witches and wizards."

"So what happened?" Harry pressed.

"Nothing," Dumbledore said simply. "It appears as though the camps were empty when the goblins arrived. The buildings were still intact, but there were no prisoners or guards found in any of the camps. It appears that Voldemort moved his prisoners after our little incursion."

"So you're saying that our little scouting mission actually made it so that we lost our chance at rescuing the prisoners?" Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Then what are we supposed to do now? We have no idea where he might have taken all of those people."

"Perhaps if you spoke to your contact within the American government, we could find out some more information," Dumbledore suggested. "Their intelligence-gathering apparatus is much more advanced than our own. Surely they must have some information that could prove useful."

"Unfortunately, I don't think Hermione and I could show our face in the Department of Magic again," Harry responded. "We sorta didn't leave on the best of terms."

"Perhaps a floo call is in order then?"

"But I thought that you couldn't use the floo system here to contact another country. I thought that each country has their own floo network," Harry objected.

"Right you are, Harry. But while each nation has their own domestic floo network, there are also connections to other nations for official purposes. The fireplace in my office here is set up for an international connection. My position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards requires regular international communication on my part. If you would like, you could use it for a moment. I do not believe that you would be recognized by those using the floo network, but only the security on location."

Harry nodded before rising and walking over to the fireplace on the other side of the office. He grabbed a handful of the powder and threw it into the fireplace, sticking his head in afterwards. "U.S. Department of Magic," he announced, and waited for a response.

A moment later, the face of a young female receptionist appeared. "How can I help you, sir?" she asked absently.

"I'm looking for an Agent Michael Gladstone. Is he available for a moment?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but Agent Gladstone is no longer employed by the Department. He is currently awaiting trial, but I cannot elaborate further. Is there someone else you would like to speak with instead?"

Harry was stunned into silence for a moment. "No, thank you," he replied. "Can't you just tell me what he's going on trial for? I'm sort of a friend of his."

The receptionist looked over both of her shoulders. "I hear it's treason, but I'm not sure. Sounds pretty bad if you ask me, though."

"Thank you," Harry replied solemnly. He then pulled his head out of the fireplace, ending the call.

As he sat back down, Dumbledore spoke. "That was quite fast, Harry. Is something wrong?"

"Our contact, Agent Gladstone, has been arrested and is being tried for treason, or so the receptionist said. Dammit, it's all my fault. If I hadn't copied those documents, none of this would have happened!"

"Loathe as I am to admit it, Harry, as it would only fuel your self-hatred, you are correct. I also feel compelled to inform you that the crime of treason in the United States carries the penalty of death. It is not something to be trifled with."

"Then I've got to do something! I've got to break him out!"

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, not everything in this world is your responsibility. You are not required to solve every problem plaguing the world. What you are destined to do is defeat Voldemort. Everything else is secondary. Besides, if he is incarcerated, it is unlikely that this agent has access to the intelligence we need."

"But I caused this whole thing! He would still have a job and wouldn't be facing death if it weren't for me!"

"Are you absolutely sure of this, Harry? From what you've told me, this Agent Gladstone jumped too quickly at the opportunity to disseminate classified American intelligence. Perhaps he was predisposed to sharing secrets."

Harry shook his head. "No, that's not it at all. He said that there was something up, something wrong with their Department, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Wait, what if Voldemort has infiltrated the American government? It would make sense then to get rid of Gladstone; he was helping us."

"That would be the most logical course of action, Harry. If that were the case, it would be in our best interest to find out how deep the corruption goes, how far the conspiracy reaches."

"Gladstone would be the best one to ask about that. He has to know everything about their system. Any hope of stopping Voldemort in the Americas dies with Gladstone. And he may still know something about where the prisoners were taken as well."

"It seems as though you have made up your mind, Harry," Dumbledore observed.

"I have. I have to break him out. I have to find out what he knows, even if I'm not too fond of the man."

"Then it will be helpful to know what I know. Just as Britain has a magical prison at Azkaban, and the Germans have Nuremgard, the Americans have Alcatraz."

"Alcatraz? Wasn't that a muggle prison they shut down?" Harry queried.

"Correct. However, at one point, it served as both a magical and muggle prison. Now, the muggle portion, which is the visible portion, is open as a tourist attraction. However, deep underneath the island, the magical prison at Alcatraz remains, unseen to the general public. I believe that it is there that you will find your Agent Gladstone. It is now just approaching nine in the morning here, which means that it is nearly one in the morning in San Francisco. There will likely never be a better time."

Harry turned to leave the office, but was stopped by Dumbledore's voice.

"Harry, this is not an operation for the Order of the Gold Cross. If you do this, you do it alone. You will be invading the territory of a sovereign nation, while engaging in international espionage. If anything happens, I will deny this conversation ever took place. You will be on your own. Do you understand this?"

Harry didn't turn to face Dumbledore, and instead stood there with his back towards the Headmaster. With his hand on the doorknob, he finally spoke. "I understand."

Dumbledore nodded. "Then prepare well, Harry. Do not be hasty, and be careful."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Harry said, and left Dumbledore alone in the office.

"And good luck," the old wizard said to the emptiness.

* * *

Harry returned to Potter Tower and went straight to his and Hermione's room. He pulled a sheet off of their bed and transfigured it into a small black backpack. Into it he put his invisibility cloak, and closed it. It was thin enough to sleekly fit on his back without impeding his movement too much. Next, Harry changed into his black Order armor, complete with shield. The small ward stone hidden within the armor had enough magical energy to protect against three high-powered curses, or five lower-powered spells.

When he left the master suite, Harry was clad completely in black, with the sleek black backpack affixed to his back. He was also armed with both his normal phoenix feather wand, as well as his backup dueling wand, just in case. But before he could leave Hogwarts, Harry had one last visit to pay to the hospital wing.

Harry pushed open the doors to the hospital wing to find Hermione still sitting up in her bed, with a tray of food resting on her lap. She took one look at Harry and gave him a scowl.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know I said I would come back here and stay with you until you leave, but something's come up. Gladstone's been arrested, and he's facing the death penalty for helping us. I'm going to go break him out. Grandpa seems to think that Voldemort's infiltrated the American government, and that Gladstone can help us there. We can also see if he can find out anything more about where Voldemort might have taken his prisoners, since they were moved after we were there."

"Don't you think you're going about this too quickly, Harry? You're being pretty impulsive, since you haven't even had enough time to think about this," Hermione objected.

"I've had enough time to realize that every second I wait is another second that brings Gladstone closer to death. It also means that Voldemort is able to manipulate the United States against us. That has to be what he's after. Yes, I think that the portal is his end goal, but the Americans, the werewolves, destroying the Aurors at the Ministry…its all part of his game plan to weaken us and bring every ounce of his power to bear against us. Don't you see? We have to put a stop to this. And if this is how we can work towards that, then it's completely necessary."

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed in resignation. "Harry, I know better than to argue with you. I know that if you have your heart set on something, no force outside of Heaven itself could stop you. Just promise me one thing."

"Name it," he said tenderly.

"You'll come back safe," she begged quietly.

Harry walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "I promise," he said, sealing his promise with a long kiss on her lips.

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Madame Pomfrey decided to emerge from her office and check up on Hermione.

"Oh, honestly!" she huffed. "What is it with you two and being so public? I'm glad I was here this time to stop it. I don't want to even imagine where this could have gone if I hadn't come out of my office!"

Harry smiled at the nurse before pulling away from Hermione. Nodding to Poppy formally, he left the hospital wing. He made his way to the Hogwarts library, where he spent a few minutes looking over maps of San Francisco and its bay, where Alcatraz Island was located. In one book, he even managed to find archived plans of the muggle facility, as well as the fact that the entrance to the magical compound deep underground was found within the lighthouse outside the main cellblock, down a hidden staircase that was invisible to muggles. Content with this knowledge, Harry then exited the school and its wards. Concentrating on the map of the island, Harry apparated off of the grounds of Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry reappeared in almost total darkness. He cast the same charm on his glasses that Dumbledore had used two days before, allowing him to see in the dark. Looking around, he found himself on Alcatraz Island, or at least what he recognized as Alcatraz Island. From what he could remember from the map and pictures in the library, he was outside the muggle portion of the prison.

Quickly looking around himself to see if there was anyone nearby, Harry knelt down and opened his backpack, pulling out the invisibility cloak. Replacing the pack on his back, Harry donned the cloak with one swift motion, practiced over years of covert operations around Hogwarts.

Hidden by the darkness and invisible to the naked eye, Harry made his way towards where he remembered the lighthouse to be. In the distance, he could make out the brightly lit skyline of San Francisco, as well as the lights on the famous Golden Gate Bridge. He realized that Hermione would have loved to come with him, if only to experience something new and see more landmarks. Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Harry turned and continued on his journey. He had appeared at the main dock of the island, so it was a matter of following a winding path to the top of the island, where the main cellblock rested. Just outside that building there was a lighthouse, where the entrance to the magical prison was allegedly located.

It took just over five minutes for Harry to climb the hill, making sure to do it as silently as possible. He wasn't sure if and where any guards were posted. So far, he hadn't seen any, at least any who were visible, as this part of the island was normally open to muggles. Finally, Harry arrived at the top of the island. Behind him was the massive cell house, and in front of him was a tall lighthouse, which supposedly also doubled as a residence.

Harry magically unlocked the door to the lighthouse and entered, finding himself in a tall stairwell, with spiral stairs only going up. But he knew there was also supposed to be access underground from there, so instead of taking the stairs up, he searched the ground floor for some sort of entrance to the magical portion of the prison. After searching for a few minutes, Harry saw what appeared to be a flaw in one of the bricks that made up the wall. Upon further inspection, he realized that it was a small round hole, just small enough for…

Struck by inspiration, Harry pulled out his wand and stuck the tip into the hole. At first, nothing happened, then, after a moment, a portion of the floor underneath the stairs slid away to reveal another set of stairs going down. Keeping his wand out and at the ready, Harry began his downward trek down the stairs. He had expected the magical prison to be just below the surface, however he found that this was not the case, as after almost five minutes, he was still descending deep into the bowels of the island.

Finally, Harry reached the bottom of the stairwell, which was a small, round room not unlike the landing where he had revealed the stairs. On one side of the room, there was a large, steel door with what appeared to be an old-fashioned muggle vault lock on it. Harry magically unlocked it, and watched as it creaked open. He stepped through the door only to have it slam shut behind him, causing him to flinch at the noise. Before him, stretched a long, brightly lit hallway made entirely of concrete. Aside from the track of bright lights on the ceiling, and one on each wall, the hallway was completely bare of any decoration or distinguishing features. Unlike the hall that led into the Department of Magic, however, Harry could see the end of this one after only a few steps, despite the fact that it curved slightly. From the door, the other end of the hall was only just out of sight, though.

Compared to the other hall in Washington, this one was quite short, and only took about thirty seconds for Harry to traverse. However, once he reached the other end, he found it empty. It was a dead end. Confused, Harry inspected the wall closely, finding no flaw or weakness he could recognized. Defeated, he turned back to the hall and walked it slowly in the opposite direction, trying to find something different about the walls. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, except for something out of the ordinary for a normal wall. However, by the time he reached the door he had come through in the first place, he had found no distinguishing marks.

Figuring that there must be something else in the small round room at the base of the stairs, Harry reopened the door and stepped back outside of the hall. Instead of the room he had been in before, Harry found himself in a large, high-ceilinged room with tables spread out along the floor. There was a short, narrow hall of about twenty feet before it opened into the main common area, but Harry could see two desks, one on each side of the end of the hall, presumably security desks.

Quickly turning around to keep the door from slamming shut, Harry was only barely able to slow its movement enough to silence its closing. Successful in this, Harry made sure his invisibility cloak was still firmly over him before he set off into what he assumed was the main portion of the prison.

As he exited the short hallway, Harry saw a lone guard sitting at one of the desks. His back was turned away from Harry, facing into the main room, most likely to watch for prisoners who were trying to escape in the middle of the night. Without a second thought, Harry stunned the guard, and let him slump in his chair. Harry them quickly made his way around the desk and positioned the man so that it appeared as though he had simply fallen asleep. Stepping back after admiring his handiwork, Harry went to the computer terminal that was behind the desk.

With an unexpected level of speed and mastery, Harry quickly searched the computer for Gladstone's name. After scrolling through several pages of prisoner listings and building schematics, Harry found the name he was looking for. Gladstone was located on what was called Level C, three stories below the Entrance Level where he currently was. Returning the computer to the screen it was on when he arrived, Harry made his way to the far end of the spacious room, which he could only assume was an eating hall. At the far end, according to the schematics on the computer, there was another stairwell that led to the lower levels of the prison, where the prisoners were held.

The door blocking this stairwell was once again made of thick steel, but had a window about two feet square three quarters of the way up. It opened with no resistance or magic required, granting Harry access to the stairs within. Stepping inside, Harry found himself in small, square room that seemed to descend forever. He quickly traversed the three flights of stairs to get to Level C, which was labeled on the wall next to the door out of the stairwell. On the opposite side of the door, there was a sign describing the contents of the floor, which included prisoner's cells, as well as the prison's infirmary.

Harry stepped through the door, which closed behind him almost silently. However, there was the sound of hissing air as it closed, leading Harry to believe that the door had just formed an airtight seal.

In front of Harry, there was a large, drab, gray hallway made of concrete, with sparse lighting. A number of halls branched off of the main hall, each one labeled with a number corresponding to the cell numbers down it. Harry remembered from the terminal in the entrance area that Gladstone was being held in cell 17-9, which meant he was down corridor number 17, or so Harry assumed.

Just as Harry was about to make his way towards cellblock 17, he heard footsteps in front of him. Pressing himself up against the wall, and silently casting a silencing charm over himself, Harry waited. An instant later, a guard walked by, wand out and lit. He swept his wand back and forth, tediously searching the hallway for intruders or escaping inmates. Harry could see some sort of glasses on the guard's face, but it was only as he turned to face where Harry was that he realized what they were.

Without thinking, Harry tossed his cloak aside and barreled into the guard. Taken by surprise, the guard dropped his wand, which darkened. Harry rammed the man into the opposite wall. Still using the surprise to his advantage, Harry slammed his elbow into the guard's head, and released him, letting him slump to the floor unconscious.

Harry frantically looked around for a place to hide the disabled guard, but he found none. All of the nearby cells were filled with sleeping inmates. So Harry did the next best thing. He grabbed his invisibility cloak off of the ground and draped it over the incapacitated guard. Making sure no part of the guard was visible, Harry resumed his trek towards Gladstone. He would have to rely on old-fashioned stealth from here.

After just over a minute, Harry reached the branch in the hall that led to cellblock 17, and he took it. The cells in the hall seemed to have no door, but were instead small cubicles with a front wall made of what appeared to be glass. But Harry doubted that it really was. A few dozen feet down the hall, Harry found cell number nine, which was where Gladstone was supposed to be. As he peered through the clear wall, that information was confirmed.

Inside the cell, there was nothing but a small cot, a sink, and a toilet. No other decorations or furniture was present. Gladstone lay on the cot, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, and from the looks of it, he was sleeping.

Harry knocked on the clear wall a few times, and to him it sounded remarkably like glass. After his third tap, he saw Gladstone begin to stir. It took him a moment to fully regain his faculties, but after he did so, he sat up in bed and stared at Harry with a bewildered look on his face.

"Potter!" he hissed quietly. "What are you doing here?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I just thought I'd come pay you a visit. You know, in the middle of the night, wearing all black. Oh, I brought some tea and biscuits, would you like some?"

Gladstone rolled his eyes. "No, I mean what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm here to get you out, of course. Now how do you open this thing?"

"You don't. Instead, you turn around and leave. You forget you ever saw me here, and you let me be."

"I can't do that. I'm the reason you're here. Besides, I need you. There are more important things at play here than you're petty little desire to take one for the team, or fall on your sword, or whatever you call it."

Gladstone stood and walked over to the wall separating them. He put both hands flat on the wall, on either side of his head.

"Listen to me, Potter," he whispered dangerously. "This isn't the time or place for your heroics. Yes, I know that the Department's been compromised. Yes, I'd like to help fix it. But I can't. The moment I leave here, they will begin a manhunt for me that will not end at the shores of the United States. I committed treason, and as much as I appreciate your offer to help, I just can't take it."

Harry just smiled at the former agent. "So you're just going to roll over and die like an obedient little puppy, even though you know that it was a corrupt government that sent you here?"

Gladstone didn't answer, but turned his head away from Harry.

"You can't sit by and let the corruption spread, or let Voldemort take hold in the United States. What is more important, breaking a few laws, or doing something for the greater good; something that will save your country and help save the rest of the world? Just tell me how these things open, and I'll get you out of here. We'll deal with the whole manhunt thing once we come to it."

"Fine," Gladstone sighed. "The only reason I know this is because I've had to visit this place so often for the Department. Anyway, to your right, just past this wall, is a small hole. A guard's wand acts as a key. Don't think of trying to use your wand, as it'll just set off the alarm. Likewise, this wall is impervious to attack, but any magical attack will also set off an alarm. So we have to do this the right way. Just be careful, the guards have goggles on that allow them to see through invisibility cloaks and disillusionment charms."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "It's already been taken care of," he whispered back. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

Gladstone rolled his eyes again. "Where do you think I'd go?" Harry shrugged and retraced his steps to where he left the unconscious guard. He returned a minute later, the guard's wand in his hand. Harry pressed the tip of the wand into the small hole near Gladstone's cell, just as he had done in the lighthouse, and the glass wall slid silently open.

"You know, I was wondering," Harry whispered as the door opened, "are there only two guards here to guard the entire prison?"

Gladstone didn't answer as he stepped outside his cell and looked down both sides of the corridor nervously. Harry handed him the guard's wand and the two made their way back to the main hall, where the incapacitated guard lay. Harry retrieved his invisibility cloak, exposing the guard's body. This did not concern either Gladstone or Harry, as they were on their way out, and would likely be long gone by the time he was discovered.

"No," Gladstone finally answered, "there are more. But its night, so there is only one guard per floor at any given time. They have the ability to call for reinforcements when needed, or will come when there is no answer from another guard. They all have headsets to communicate with each other. Why do you ask?"

Harry paled slightly. "Oh, no reason. I just think we'd better get out of here before they start trying to communicate with each other."

Just at that moment, the lights in the hallway turned red, and a loud, blaring alarm began to sound. Looking at each other in panic, Harry and Gladstone broke into a run towards the stairwell.

"What is it with you and setting off alarms?" Gladstone asked as they ran.

Harry jerked the door to the stairwell open and began to climb the three flights of stairs. "Just have a knack for it, I guess." He took the stairs three at a time, and Gladstone was hot on his heels. It took them only a few seconds to reach the main floor. Harry threw open the door and rushed into the room, followed by Gladstone.

"Freeze!" a voice boomed as soon as the door closed behind them. For the first time since they entered the room, Harry took a good look around, only to find them confronted by nearly a dozen guards, all with their wands drawn. He and Gladstone backed up, away from the group, until they bumped into the door they had just came through.

"Now, slowly, lower your wands," the voice commanded. From what Harry could tell, it was coming from one of the guards in the middle of the pack, but he couldn't tell which one. Seeing that they were outnumbered, Harry lowered his wand to the ground slowly, and Gladstone followed suit. They then stood back up, still with more than thirty feet between them and the guards.

With one hand, Harry tried to open the door they had just come in. It didn't budge.

"How good are you against overwhelming odds?" Harry whispered to Gladstone out of the corner of his mouth.

"Depends on how overwhelming. This? Not too bad."

Harry nodded. "Just follow my lead then."

"Fine, just don't kill them."

"I'll try my best."

The guard at the center of the group stepped forward slightly. "Now, put your hands on top of your heads where we can see them," he ordered. Harry and Gladstone did as they were asked.

As Harry put his hands just behind the top of his head, he reached into his sleeve for his backup wand. He withdrew it slowly and hid it in his right hand before nodding to Gladstone. The former agent nodded back.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, stunning the guard spokesman.

In a flash, the guards opened fire, but it was a moment too late. Gladstone had dropped to the ground and retrieved the wand he had been using. He had then taken shelter behind one of the tables. Harry, likewise, had ducked behind a table.

Harry gripped one wand in each hand, having retrieved his good wand, and stood again. Using his backup wand to cast shield charms, Harry opened fire on the guards, firing stunning spells without care.

Gladstone, likewise, shot off some spells of his own. However, he was not as capable as Harry was, as he only had one wand, and had to alternate between firing and shielding.

The guards, meanwhile, were not to be outdone. Instead of stunning spells, they seemed to focus on more lethal curses. It was clear that they were not in the mood to capture Harry and Gladstone. They were out to kill. But none of their curses hit their target, as they were all blocked by shields.

After a few seconds, only a few of the guards had fallen victim to Harry and Gladstone's wands. It was time to try something different.

Still shielding himself with one wand, Harry fired a blasting curse at the floor beneath the largest cluster or guards. With a great explosion, the concrete floor erupted upwards, throwing guards in every direction. Several of them hit the ground with a disgusting crunch. This tactic alone eliminated five of the guards from the battle. Now there were only four remaining.

Seeing an opportunity to end the fight, Gladstone levitated one of the thirty foot long tables into the air and hurled it at the remaining guards. The four were bowled over and crushed under the weight of the table.

In an instant, the hall grew quiet once again.

"I thought you told _me_ not to kill them," Harry commented, breaking the silence.

Gladstone walked over and checked for a pulse on the guards he had just crushed under the massive table.

"They'll live," he said apathetically. "Now let's get out of here."

They crossed over the holes in the floor from Harry's blasting curse, avoiding the reinforcing bars that were protruding at every conceivable angle, as well as chunks of concrete and steel. The next room ended up being the white corridor, which Gladstone explained was a security measure. It was a room that moved and allowed access into and out of the prison. However, it was timed, so that an escaping prisoner would be delayed until guards could arrive. The two walked the length of the hall a few times before trying the door and exiting into the lighthouse. A minute later, the two found themselves on the outside portion of the island.

"It won't be long until the Department sends in the Preventers," Gladstone commented. "Those guards down there were nothing. Think of it as the British SAS against the regulars. Nothing against the regulars, but the SAS is something to behold. If those guards had been Preventers, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Then we'd better get out of here," Harry suggested.

"Wait, Potter…Harry. I think it would be best if I stayed here. Not in Alcatraz, but in the U.S. We need to get to the bottom of this conspiracy, and I have an idea of who's involved. I won't do any good being outside the country."

"But you're wanted. You just attacked a dozen prison guards in your escape. How innocent does that make you look? You're a marked man at this point. You aren't safe here."

"Harry, you underestimate me. I've been in the magical law enforcement business for almost twenty years. Went in right after high school. Don't think I haven't learned a thing or two to help me survive. I know how to stay under the radar. I can disappear. I still have some friends in the Department who'll help me, and send me information."

"You know, that sounds kinda like what you told me just before Hermione and I left before. Something along the lines of 'I'm too senior for that,' and 'they won't arrest me sight unseen.' Looks like that didn't pan out, did it?"

Gladstone flushed red. "No, but that's only because there's someone in the Department who's out to stop us." The last word struck a chord with Harry. He had never expected Gladstone to use the term 'us' when referring to the movement against Voldemort. His respect for the man grew instantly.

"Us, you say?"

"Yeah, I figure that since I'm a wanted man now, and you broke me out of prison, the only thing I can do is work against Voldemort and try and bring him down. Try and clear my name somehow. If joining up with you is how I do that, well, there could be worse options."

"Alright," Harry said, grasping the older man's hand. "I'll leave you here and trust you to look after yourself. But I want constant updates on what you've found out. Also, I need any intelligence you can give me. Voldemort moved his prisoners out of the concentration camps after he found out we knew about them. I need to know where he's taken them. Finally, we think there is a spy in our ranks. I have a strong feeling about who it is, but we have no proof. If you can find out anything, that'd be great."

"Will do," Gladstone said as he nodded. "But in return, I'll need your help if I find a way to take out the conspiracy here. If I find out who's behind it, I'll need you to help. But at the same time, I'll be working to get some people who think the same as me together. Maybe we can do more good together than separately."

"Good. I've got to get going though," Harry said, glancing at his watch. It was still charmed to adjust to time zones automatically, so it was reading that the time was just after two in the morning. "I've got a wife who just woke up out of a coma to get back to."

"I know how it is," Gladstone commented. Harry's eyes widened. "What? You didn't think I had a family? I have a wife and two sons. But I can't let them get involved with this. They're too important for that. As much as it pains me to say it, I can't see them until this is over. So what say we kick that slimy son of a bitch's ass so we can get back to our lives?"

Harry laughed uproariously at Gladstone's language. For once, he was glad Hermione wasn't present at the moment. "Sounds like a plan, Mike," he said. "See you around."

With a nod towards Gladstone, Harry apparated off of Alcatraz Island, and back to the Hogwarts grounds.

Gladstone was left alone in the cool breeze, taking in the skyline of San Francisco in the middle of the night while leaning on the metal railing at the edge of the island. He stood there in silence for several minutes. Thoughts of his wife Hannah, and their two sons, ten year old Jeremiah, and seven year old Ethan, filled his mind, as did the fact that he had no idea when he would see them again. They most likely thought him to be a traitor to the United States, when he was the epitome of a true patriot. But he couldn't set the record straight. He couldn't drag them into this mess. And so he would suffer as a result. They would suffer. With a sad sigh, Michael Gladstone took one last look at the beautifully lit city, before he too apparated away.

End of Chapter 25

A/N: Just a few notes I wanted to mention. As I was writing this chapter, I got the feeling that the last few chapters feel a bit too…episodic. By that I mean that they seem to be almost random events tied together by a common storyline. Maybe it's just me, or the way this system works by writing and publishing one chapter at a time. I'm not sure, since this is my first story. Anyway, I just wanted to mention that the events of the last few chapters, as random as they may seem to some of you, do fit into a larger storyline. Have no fear. I'm just giving you all of the pieces of the puzzle now, and in a few chapters we'll be able to zoom out and find out what picture they've made. I don't know if that makes sense or if I'm just being overly critical of myself. There are only a few planned chapters left, and everything will begin to be put together, and the loose ends tied up.

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!


	26. Let Slip the Dogs of War

Author's Note: I know its been about five months since I last posted, but there were a bunch of things going on with me, both with work and school. But I've come back from the dead! Here is Chapter 26, which I've had read over by several readers. They've all given some input, so hopefully there isn't anything wrong here. *Crosses fingers*. Thank you again for your patience as well. I hope to have another chapter up soon, as soon as it gets re-read and re-edited. Please leave comments and reviews!

Chapter 26

**Let Slip the Dogs of War**

The next few months passed in an eerie quiet for those fighting against Voldemort. There were no attacks, no major revelations about his plans, or any other developments. Harry had been receiving regular updates from Gladstone roughly once per week, but so far, he had not found out where the prisoners from the concentration camps had been moved to. Instead, his communiqués tended to focus more on vague mentioning of new information about the conspiracy within the American government, as well as other useless tidbits. However, the most useful thing Gladstone had accomplished was that he had announced that he had begun to recruit others to his side to help in the fight against Voldemort in the United States.

In the meantime, construction on the newest addition to Hogwarts had been completed, albeit a week behind schedule, and one million galleons over budget. However, Harry didn't bat an eye as he paid the remaining gold, as the tower was more valuable than any amount of money. As soon as it was completed, and the workers from Montgomery & Burns had left, the Hogwarts faculty had begun to move some items into the tower, including all of the weaponry Harry had purchased for the Order.

The tower ended up being named the Armory Tower, and was roughly the same height as Gryffindor Tower. Dan had begun to use it during the weekends to teach his gunslingers the proper use for their sniper rifles. Until then, they hadn't had a tower to themselves to practice. He had set up targets far in the distance on the ground, shaped like Death Eaters, in order to make the practice as realistic as possible. At the same time, the barriers to the Chamber of Secrets had been completed as well. Now only Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore knew the passwords to get past the three new stone barriers, which had been charmed to be impervious and rotate among three passwords each. Behind those three, the original parseltongue door lay.

In the same vein as the other security measures, Dumbledore had given Harry the evacuation plan that he and Minerva had drawn up. It called for all students third year and under to be evacuated from the school by their house's prefects. They would use the floo network, if time allowed, or they would use the secret passage to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade if time was short. From Hogsmeade, the students would quickly board the Hogwarts Express to get away from the school. The train was now on constant standby just in case it was needed. It was also estimated that it would take just over an hour to evacuate all affected students by means of the floo. Students in fourth year and higher would be allowed to stay and defend the school, should it be attacked, if they had written permission from their parents or guardians.

Hermione had been released from the hospital wing a week after Harry's excursion to Alcatraz. She had been allowed to leave and return to Potter Tower, after giving Madame Pomfrey her word that she would not exert herself too much. That task was not expected to be difficult to accomplish, as there were no major events that required any Order operations. However, Hermione being Hermione, she found a way to push herself farther than she should, through excessive studying. But before she could get to that, Harry took her to the house at Godric's Hollow for a weekend, just to spend time alone together. They hadn't really done so in a good amount of time.

So it was in this environment of calmness that the end of the school year approached. As June dawned, the students of Hogwarts were the happiest they had been in over a year. Despite the fact that there was a growing cloud of darkness hanging over their heads, it was as if they had all forgotten that fact. Excitement filled the air as the end of the school year loomed, with the only obstacle between the students and a few months of freedom being two more weeks of school. This year, there were even no exams to stand in the way, as they had been cancelled as a Christmas gift to the school.

As Harry stepped out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom on Thursday afternoon, after finishing his last class, he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks. There, not twenty feet down the hall, Elizabeth and Neville were standing. Both were laughing, but Harry couldn't help but notice Neville had his hand on Elizabeth's arm. It could have easily been mistaken as a friendly gesture, but not to Harry.

Harry strolled up to the two. "Hey, you two, what's so funny?"

Immediately, Neville took his hand off of Elizabeth's arm. "Nothing, really, Harry," Neville replied shakily.

Harry gave Neville a scowl. "Please call me Professor Potter, Mr. Longbottom," he said sternly, causing Neville to gulp audibly. Harry was beginning to understand how much fun it could be to torment his daughter's friend.

"Yes, sir," Neville replied, looking at his feet. Despite how much fun it was to play the mean father, Harry immediately realized that this was the wrong person to play that role for.

"Liz, would you excuse us for a minute?" Harry asked. Elizabeth eyed him skeptically, but complied. Books in hand, she stalked off down the hall, turning a corner at the end. After she was out of sight and earshot, Harry spoke again. "Neville, let's take a little walk." Seeing the horrified look on the young man's face, Harry amended his statement. "I'm not going to kill, maim, or hurt you in any way. It's okay, I just want to talk."

Neville nodded slowly and followed Harry. The two walked in silence for a few moments as Harry gathered his thoughts. As they approached the main gates of the school, he finally spoke.

"Neville…it is all right if I call you that, right?" Neville nodded. "Good. Anyway, Neville, I've noticed that you've become quite friendly with Elizabeth. I just wanted to apologize for treating you the way that I have. I'm new to the whole 'father business,' and I guess I took it a bit too far."

"It's okay, Professor-"

"You can call me Harry, Neville. I said that before to try and intimidate you. But I realize now that I was wrong."

"Sorry, Harry," Neville replied sheepishly.

Harry sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. The thing he wanted most here was to prop up Neville's self-worth. He knew that Neville was shy, and had little to no self-esteem, and realized that he had only been making it worse giving him a hard time about being friends with Elizabeth.

"Neville, I'm the same age as you are. True, I'm a Professor here. True, I'm in charge of the Order as well. But I'm still the same age as you. So if we're alone, or not in a professional setting, just treat me like everyone else, all right. It'll make things easier for both of us."

"Okay, Harry," Neville said, standing a bit straighter. "You don't have to apologize. I know where you're coming from. She is your only daughter. But at the same time, she is one of the few people who are nice to me, and not out of pity. Everyone else either makes fun of me because I'm so clumsy, or they treat me like I'm a fragile china doll that is about to break. I know she's four years younger than I am. But I also consider her to be a friend."

"That's all?" Harry asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

Neville's eyes widened, but quickly returned to normal. "That's all. Right now, she's a friend, someone I can be myself around. And since she's a few years younger than I am, I can help her with her schoolwork without fear of getting an answer wrong."

"So that's why she refuses our help," Harry muttered to himself, smiling inwardly.

"But," Neville continued, not having heard Harry, "someday in the future, maybe, I may work up the courage to ask her out. Merlin, I can't believe I just said that aloud."

Harry clapped Neville on the back. "Hey, it's all right. I can't believe I'm saying this either, but I'm okay with that. Really, I am. I know it's in the Father's Rulebook that I have to give you a hard time. But Neville, if things go like you say, I'll be honest with you: I'd be perfectly happy. Trust me when I say this, but I know you better than you think. I know what kind of person you are, and you are one of the few people I might eventually trust Elizabeth with. But that's still several decades off. Elizabeth won't be allowed to date until she turns sixty. She doesn't know it yet, but those are my rules."

Neville laughed nervously.

"It's all right, you can laugh. It was a joke. But on a more serious note, we are having this talk several years too early. She's only eleven, so for right now, if you want to be her friend, I won't stand in your way. And in the future, if it turns into something more, I won't be there to stop you. But for now, she's too young. Merlin, I'm too young!"

"Thanks, Harry," Neville replied sincerely.

"No, thank you, Neville. Thank you for being honest with me. Believe me when I say that I can read people. I can tell when they're lying. I would have known if you had lied to me about your relationship with Elizabeth. But you didn't, so my respect for you just grew. You're a remarkable young man. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, understand?"

"How is it that you can act so mature, Harry? We're the same age. Actually, I'm a day older. But you have this level of maturity that I can only dream of. You actually sound like a real father." Harry shot him a questioning look. "Well, that's not what I meant, but you sound like a father who's forty years old. How do you do it?"

"Experience does that to you. I've seen things in my life so vile that I can't even bring myself to think about them, let alone tell you about them. Life can cause you to grow up quickly. You will learn this, Neville. In fact, I think you already have. I've noticed a huge change in you since you killed Bellatrix. You seem more mature, and you carry yourself differently. Sure, you still tend to shy away from confrontation. But that is not a bad thing. One never wishes for confrontation. One must simply know how to face it."

"And that's what I admire about you, Harry." It seemed as though Neville was beginning to warm to Harry finally. "You know how to face it. You don't let it intimidate you. I just wish I could do that."

Harry felt pride swell up in his chest. Neville admired him. He couldn't let him down. "You can. All you have to have is the confidence to know that what you are doing is right. A confrontation always comes down to a battle between two sides. You simply have to believe that you are doing the right thing. After that, everything else is easy. You don't lack ability, Neville, only confidence. You have the potential to be a powerful wizard and a great leader, so long as you believe that you can. Now, I know I haven't helped you in that respect. If anything, I've only made things worse, and for that, I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. The blame doesn't belong to one person. I'm just as responsible for my own actions as you are for encouraging them. So please don't apologize."

"Fine," Harry grumbled. By now, the two had walked around the castle entirely, almost unconsciously making the twists and turns, as they were so caught up in their conversation. "Let's talk about something more manly. I can feel the testosterone seeping out of me. How has your animagus transformation been coming?"

"Not bad. I've got a few parts of the transformation down, but I still can't get the whole thing. Professor Black wasn't kidding when he said this would be hard. Can't say I'm too fond of the idea of being a fox, though."

"Why not? A fox could actually be pretty useful. True, it's not a brute force type of animal, but think about the positives. A fox is great at sneaking. You could be useful as a spy, or something like that."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Don't be so down, Neville. If you're going to work on your confidence, you have to look on the bright side of things. We'll have to work on that, I guess. Tell you what, why don't you come visit us during the summer at Potter Manor? Spend some time with Elizabeth over the summer? It'll do you good to get out of your comfort zone of spending the summer with your Grandmother. Not that I have anything against her, but you have to get out."

Neville thought on that for a moment. Harry couldn't understand why he would be giving it thought, but he decided not to judge the young man, and instead let him grow in this instance on his own.

"I'd like that," he said finally, much to Harry's relief.

"Good. Now, I think we've spent enough time out here. If we don't get back soon, the women will think we've gone soft or something. I don't think that two blokes are supposed to talk this much."

Neville chuckled and followed Harry back inside the castle. The two parted ways just before the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Harry returned to Potter Tower. Inside, he found Hermione and Elizabeth talking. As soon as he entered, Elizabeth stopped talking, which immediately caused Harry to get suspicious. He sat down on the couch next to Hermione, with Elizabeth sitting in the chair across from them.

"What'd you and Neville talk about, Dad?" Elizabeth asked, crossing her arms at her chest.

"You're becoming too much like your mother, you know that?" Harry said.

"You're avoiding my question," Elizabeth pressed.

"Now you're sounding _even more_ like your mother. But we just talked."

"About?"

"Things. Just things that don't concern you."

"Oh, come on, don't think I'm stupid, Dad. I know why you asked me to leave. I want to know what you said to him after I left."

"And I don't think that's any of your concern, young lady."

"Harry," Hermione interrupted. "I think you should tell her."

"Oh, now you're siding with her?"

"No." Harry grinned smugly. "I just want to know what you said as well." At that, Harry's face fell. The two most important women in his life were teaming up against him. He didn't stand a chance.

"You know, it's not fair when you gang up against me," Harry whined. "Its unnatural. That's the real reason why most men only take one wife."

"Oh, is that the reason?" Hermione asked slyly, raising an eyebrow. "I thought there were other things like love, loyalty, oh and…"

"Don't even go there," Harry said, putting up his hand. "At least not with her here." He nodded his head towards Elizabeth.

"What? What were you going to say?" she asked.

"Nothing," Harry said immediately. "You know what, I think I'll tell you about what Neville and I talked about." He was more interested in getting off of the subject they were approaching than protecting his conversation with Neville.

"We just had a nice talk about a few things. Mainly concerning his relationship with you, Liz. I apologized to him about how I've treated him over the last few months, mainly torturing him from a distance. He just wants to be friends with you, since you are basically his first real friend he's made here, even though he's been here for five years. Neville just doesn't tend to fit in with his housemates, and others don't respect him much. I realized that I'd been too hard on him, and that if I wanted to help him gain confidence, the last thing I needed to do was torment him."

"I never thought I'd say this, Harry, but that's very mature of you," Hermione said, hugging his arm.

"Thanks, Hermione…wait. What do you mean you never thought you'd say I was mature? After all we've been through? You of all people should know…you're just having me on, aren't you?" Hermione nodded before breaking out into a laugh. She was joined by Elizabeth. "You're just mean, you know that? Now I'm not going to tell you what else we talked about."

Elizabeth gave Harry her best sad eyes, and stuck out her bottom lip. Any other man would have seen it as pathetic, but Harry couldn't resist Elizabeth's pouting.

"Oh, fine," he relented. "I told him I didn't have a problem with him being your friend. Then we talked about confidence and self-worth. I told him he needed to have more confidence in himself, and to do that, part of what he needed to do is do something different, something he wasn't used to. So I invited him to spend some time with us this summer, just to get out of his routine."

"That was really great of you, Harry," Hermione said. "You didn't have to do that."

"No, I didn't. But I want to help him grow. And it didn't help matters when he said he admired me. I couldn't say no to that. So I need to take him 'under my wing' as it were. Help him gain the confidence he so desperately needs."

As Harry finished his sentence, the fireplace in the Potter Tower sitting room glowed green, signaling that there was a call waiting. Harry went over to the fireplace and stuck his head in to take the call.

Meanwhile, just as Harry and Neville were finishing their walk around the castle, Draco Potter and Ginny Weasley were also walking outside. However, unlike Harry and Neville, they were walking hand in hand, and it was around the Black Lake.

"Draco," Ginny began, "I've been meaning to say something to you for a while, but I kept forgetting. It was only the other day that I finally realized it, but I think someone has been putting me under the Imperious Curse."

Draco stopped in his tracks. "What? Why are you just telling me this now? That's too important to forget! And why are you telling _me_? You should tell Harry, or the Headmaster."

Ginny shook her head. "I don't think Harry trusts me. He always looks at me like I've done something wrong, like I'm up to something. And I think he has the Headmaster in his pocket."

"But how are you just now realizing that someone's been using it on you?"

"I've been practicing my Occlumency techniques like we do in the Order ever since Harry taught us how to shake off the curse. But I hadn't had much luck at it. However, two days ago, I felt someone try and use it on me. I only barely stopped it in time."

"Well, who was it? What did they want?"

"I don't know. I put up some resistance, and as soon as I did, the feeling vanished. There was nobody else around me. I don't know who did it."

"We've got to tell Harry and the Headmaster. Despite what you think of them, they have to take this seriously! I know Harry thinks there's a spy in the Order. They might be the one who's doing this to you! We have to go talk to them!"

"No!" Ginny exclaimed, somewhat too forcefully, causing Draco to widen his eyes in surprise. "I mean, they probably won't believe me. They'll think I'm the spy or something, and I'm just trying to cover myself."

"Oh, come on, there's only one way to know for sure. Besides, this is too important to just brush under the rug."

Draco tugged on Ginny's arm and pulled her towards the castle. Ginny grudgingly followed him, dragging her feet as much as possible without seeming like a baby. After several minutes, they found themselves in front of the gargoyle to Dumbledore's office. Since they did not know the password, they were forced to ask the statue for permission to enter. This essentially meant that Dumbledore was alerted to their presence and could either allow their admittance, or deny it. In this case, he granted them permission to enter.

The two walked into the office to find Dumbledore seated behind his desk.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley?" he asked kindly, putting on his best Headmaster tone.

Ginny said nothing, forcing Draco to speak for her. "Ginny thinks someone's been trying to put her under the Imperious Curse," he explained simply.

Dumbledore's eyes grew dark. "I see," he said lowly, peering over his spectacles. "And what leads to you believe this, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny shuffled her feet slightly. "I've been practicing my Occlumency, and two days ago I felt someone try and use the curse on me. I think it was luck though, since I only barely felt it and fought it off. I don't know if I could do it again."

Dumbledore stood from his seat and pulled the Elder Wand from his robes. "Miss Weasley, if you will allow me, I would like to try a legilimency probe on you. It will not hurt, you should only see your own memories. I am looking for whoever may have done this."

"But I didn't see who did it. I don't know who it was!"

"Ah, the mind is a tricky thing. It can lead you to believe great falsehoods, or lead you to question the most proven facts. I find it always helps to see memories from another perspective, to see what may have been missed. That is what I am going to attempt with you. I will watch your memory of the attack, in an attempt to determine the perpetrator."

Ginny nodded feebly, granting the Headmaster permission to proceed. He aimed his wand at the redhead, and uttered the incantation. Instantly, Ginny saw her memories of the past several years flying past. She could feel Dumbledore's presence in her mind, sifting through her thoughts.

A few moments later, Dumbledore released the spell with a flick of his wand. "Alas, I could find nothing. I found no trace of any memory pertaining to the use of the Imperious curse."

"That's impossible! It happened! I remember it!" Ginny exclaimed.

"And yet there is no trace of it in your mind, at least that I can find. Miss Weasley, are you absolutely sure that what you claim to remember is the truth?" Ginny nodded. "Very well. I will do what I can to follow up on this situation. However, with no proof, your case is quite thin. It would behoove you to not mention this again, for fear of stirring up suspicions of yourself."

Ginny nodded solemnly, and Draco led her out of the office. As soon as the door closed behind them, Dumbledore raced over to his fireplace and stuck his head in after throwing in some floo powder. "Harry Potter!" he called.

By this point, Harry was on the tail end of his conversation with Elizabeth and Hermione. It only took a second after Dumbledore called his name for Harry's face to appear. "What's up, Grandpa?" he asked.

"I just had quite an interesting conversation with a certain Miss Weasley. Perhaps you and the esteemed Mrs. Potter would like to join me?"

Harry nodded. "We'll be there in a few minutes." With that, the call ended, and Dumbledore pulled his head out of the fireplace. He returned to his desk and sat back down. For the next several minutes, he lost himself in thought, considering what might be at play in this situation. After about ten minutes, his door swung open, and Harry and Hermione entered. The two sat down on the other side of the desk.

"So what's this all about?" Harry asked.

"Young Miss Weasley, as well as Draco, just paid me a visit to offer a very troubling accusation. Miss Weasley alleges that she was the victim of an attack using the Imperious Curse."

"Do you believe her?" Hermione asked, intrigued. Dumbledore shook his head.

"All of the evidence points to her story being a fabrication. I tried legilimens on her, but there was not only no memory of being under the Imperious Curse, there was also no memory of the attack that she claims to remember. While Miss Weasley claims to remember shaking off the curse, and how she did it, there is no accessible memory to support that."

"She's just making it up," Harry concluded. "She's trying to throw us off the scent."

"Unfortunately, Harry, all evidence points to that being the case. However, what evidence we have is thin. Until we have concrete proof of her guilt, there is no way of knowing if she is telling the truth. While her guilt seems assured to us, there is a distinct possibility that Miss Weasley is not the spy within your Order."

"I don't see how that could be."

"All the same, Harry, we must humor the possibility. However, until we have proof to the contrary, we must treat Miss Weasley as our prime suspect. Question everything. It is only through constant vigilance that we will get to the bottom of this."

Harry and Hermione chuckled. "Will do, Mad-Eye," Harry said jokingly. Dumbledore understood the humor immediately. The two Potters saw themselves out of the office and returned to Potter Tower.

The next morning, Harry and Hermione received an odd summons to the office of the Minister of Magic. Ever since the Ministry had fallen several months prior, the Minister and her staff had been operating out of Hogwarts. Despite this, none of the normal occupants of the school, aside from Dumbledore, were usually summoned to her office. Harry, though, had been summoned to the office once before.

Minister of Magic Amelia Bones had set up her office, along with those of other Ministry employees, in an unused wing of the school, so as to avoid any interference with the day to day operations of Hogwarts. It took several minutes for Harry and Hermione to reach her office, which had been placed in an empty classroom, but when they arrived, they saw Dumbledore approaching the door.

"So I see you two have been summoned as well," he observed. "Most curious. My summons indicated that there was a matter of great urgency to discuss. Come, we must not waste time." He pulled open the door and held it open for Harry and Hermione, entering after the two younger staff members.

The classroom, which had once been filled with rows of desks, had been completely emptied with the exception of a large desk, with some couches in front of it. The floor had also been covered in carpet. Hermione was immediately reminded of photographs she had seen of the Oval Office of the American President.

"Ah, thank you for coming on such short notice," Minister Bones said as she rose. She motioned for the three to take a seat on one of the couches, and she moved from her desk to take a seat on the one opposite of them. "There has been a troubling new development with regards to the American situation."

Harry sat silently, remembering the events that had unfolded after his incursion into American territory a few months prior and his last visit to this office.

_Begin Flashback_

_Harry reappeared on the Hogwarts grounds from his trip to Alcatraz, and made his way back up to the hospital wing. Glancing at a clock on the wall on his way, he saw that it was not even noon yet, so he still had plenty of time to make good on his promise to stay with Hermione. He entered the hospital wing to find her still sitting up in the bed, but now reading from the copy of __Moby Dick__ that he had left behind._

_She looked up as he entered and closed the book, making sure to place a bookmark where she had left off. "So, how'd it go?" she asked._

_Harry sat down on the bed next to her legs, with his back to her. "Fine," he said grumpily._

"_Then what's wrong?" Hermione pressed. "If it went fine, what's with the attitude?"_

"_Oh, it's just that Gladstone wouldn't come with me. Here, I thought that I'd be doing him this big favor by breaking him out of prison, but he went all noble on me, and decided to stay behind. True, I didn't put up much of a fight, since he said he would still support our cause and help wherever he could, but I can't help but feel sorta defeated."_

_Hermione reached over and began to rub Harry's back in a series of small circles. "Come on," she said. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"_

_And so Harry did. He told Hermione the entire story of what had transpired halfway around the world. He told her about the small battle against the guards, as well as Gladstone's stubborn patriotism. The two sat in the hospital wing, simply discussing what had happened, as well as other things of lesser importance, for several hours._

_It was as the great clock of Hogwarts struck four in the afternoon that a Ministry owl arrived in the hospital wing with a letter for Harry. Opening it, Harry saw that it was a summons to a meeting with the Minister of Magic in her office. Apologizing to Hermione, Harry left the hospital wing and made his way towards the unused classrooms on the other side of the school._

_He arrived and was swiftly ushered into the large, well-lit classroom, where he took a seat on one of the plush couches. The chair behind the Minister's large desk was turned away from Harry, facing out the windows behind the desk. Harry sat in silence for over a minute before the chair turned, revealing Amelia Bones._

"_Mr. Potter, have you any idea the implications of what you have done?" she asked gravely, pursing her lips. Harry hadn't seen anyone purse their lips as well as she could, with the exception of Minerva._

_Harry gave her a confused look. "I'm not sure what you mean."_

"_You're not sure what I mean…Let me refresh your memory. A few hours ago, you apparated into American territory without authorization, broke into one of their most secure facilities, aided in the escape of a suspect in a capital crime, and assaulted over a dozen guards in the process. Sound familiar?"_

_Harry gulped. She knew. "Minister Bones, I can explain-"_

"_Save it, Mr. Potter. I've already given my excuses to Secretary Newton. He seems convinced that this was a sanctioned operation, authorized by me. Did you know what you did could be construed as an act of war?"_

_He shook his head. "I had no idea."_

"_Of course you didn't. I denied that the Ministry had anything to do with your operation, that you acted alone. While that is the truth, the Secretary would have none of it. He vowed that this matter would not be taken lightly. It is a good thing the American government is so slow to act, otherwise we could be looking out this window as the American military came barreling towards us. Is that what you want?"_

"_No, ma'am."_

_The Minister put both hands on either side of her head, looking like she was trying to stave off a headache. "You have no idea what kind of mess this has created. Sure, what you did may have sounded good to you, but there were ramifications that you didn't even consider. This may very well end up as a magical war between Britain and the United States. We haven't seen that since…well, the American muggles call it the War of 1812. That was really the last time that the magical worlds in both nations went to war with each other."_

"_I'm sorry, I didn't think…"_

"_No, you didn't, Mr. Potter. And because of that mistake, lives could be lost. Now, leave me, please. I'm going to try and clean this mess up. I just hope Secretary Newton will hear me out on this."_

_End Flashback_

Harry hadn't heard how it had gone with the Secretary since that day. He had assumed that everything had gone well, that Newton had accepted Madame Bones' apologies, since he hadn't heard otherwise.

"So what happened?" he asked tentatively.

"The American Magical Congress has voted. Finally. It seems that Secretary Newton has been pushing for a formal declaration of magical war against magical Britain, but their Congress was hesitant to do so. But Newton spent a good deal of political capital, and pushed for a vote. As of fifteen minutes ago, the Secretary has been shot down.

"Great," Harry sighed in relief. "But why'd it take so long? I thought everything was good since we hadn't heard anything. But now you're telling me we came this close to war?" Harry held up his fingers as he spoke, his index finger and thumb close together to illustrate how close he meant.

"First off, let me explain the American government to you. Basically, there are two governments, much as there are…or were, here in Britain. There is a muggle, and a magical government, that operate almost independently, with the exception of the President. Though he is a muggle, he oversees and is responsible for both governments. However, while the President of the United States is technically in charge of the magical government, true authority rests with the Secretary of Magic, who has always been magical. Right now, the sitting Secretary of Magic is Richard Newton. He is the magical executive, but all measures must be approved by the American Magical Congress, which is made up of elected witches and wizards from all fifty states. They are the ones who must declare war on another magical nation. And in this case, they were hesitant to do so, despite the fact that Newton is quite popular and influential in his government. He was determined, for some reason, to push the declaration of war against magical Britain through Congress. After a great deal of delay by his political opponents, he finally succeeded in getting them to vote, however the vote did not proceed as he wanted. He lost."

"So what happens next?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing happens next, Mrs. Potter," the Minister explained. "We cannot get involved. It appears as though the American Magical Congress was not ready to rush to war with their closest ally over such a trivial matter." She shot a look at Harry, who hung his head. "Nevertheless, it does not diminish the fact that the Secretary of Magic was so determined to go to war with us. That is what I find most disturbing."

"So you're saying that the Americans will try and attack us here? Even when they aren't at war with us?" Harry asked for clarification.

"Now, Mr. Potter, don't go jumping to conclusions," Madame Bones admonished. "I never implied anything of the sort. However, that does not preclude the possibility that Secretary Newton may try to take matters into his own hands. We at the Ministry were never able to learn too much about him. Much of his past is shrouded in mystery. For all we know, he could be a Death Eater spy. Secretary Newton seems as though he has always had a bias against the Ministry ever since he was appointed two years ago."

"That would put it at the end of our third year…" Harry observed quietly. He felt something in the back of his mind, something reminding him that he was forgetting something. But he wasn't sure what it was.

"But, that's just great. Now we don't just have to worry about Voldemort attacking Hogwarts, but the Americans going to war with us as well. It doesn't help that the Ministry is located here at Hogwarts. That just makes the school a target. What's next? The muggle government of Britain decides to declare war on its own magical community?"

"Harry, this castle is the most protected location in magical Britain," Dumbledore offered for reassurance. "With our extensive wards in place, as well as the defensive measures we have taken, it will be highly difficult for the castle to be taken. That reminds me, I have used the blood sample you provided for the main ward stone to reinforce the backup stone as well. The smaller, more basic ward stone, which supports only the anti-portkey and anti-apparition wards has now been upgraded with blood wards."

"That still doesn't make me feel any better," Harry replied. "We could now have a war on two fronts: between us and Voldemort, and now possibly with an American faction. History isn't kind to those who fought a war on two fronts. Just look at Nazi Germany."

"Yeah, but look at the Americans in the same war, Harry," Hermione interjected. "They were able to fight and win two wars almost simultaneously. You have to find some solace in that."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Looks like we'll just have to wait and see how things play out, right?"

"Exactly, Harry," Dumbledore said. "There is no point in fretting over something you cannot change. All we can do is prepare as best we can."

"But they can't be stupid enough to attack a school!" Harry exclaimed. "They know there are students and teachers here! This is no military facility!"

"I believe we may be getting ahead of ourselves here, Mr. Potter," Minister Bones said. "We have no idea how events will play out. To assume that Hogwarts itself will be attacked, with no evidence to back it up, is foolhardy. If we begin to speculate too early, we begin to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. In the end, we must closely watch how events play out and respond as needed."

"We should still prepare nonetheless," Harry replied. "We have to put this school on a war footing just in case." His suggestion was met with a round of nods from the others.

"Cry havoc," Harry heard Dumbledore mumble, "and let slip the dogs of war."

Harry and Hermione returned to Potter Tower at just after one in the afternoon, having walked around the halls of Hogwarts glumly for a long while. The sun was peeking through the windows in the tower, lending an air of carelessness to their rooms, one that made the day truly feel like a 'lazy Sunday.'

Taking the name literally, Harry and Hermione retired to their master suite, intent on taking a short midday nap. And that is exactly what they did. After kicking off their shoes, the two Potters snuggled up in bed, in an attempt to sleep their worries away.

However, Harry awoke just over an hour later, drenched in sweat and panting. Feeling Harry stir, Hermione woke as well, albeit groggily. However, she quickly regained her faculties as she took in Harry's appearance.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked concernedly. "Another nightmare?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how it keeps happening, but I think I know what Voldemort's up to. Come on." He walked over to the fireplace in the sitting room and called for Dumbledore, asking the Headmaster to join them in their Tower. Since the fireplaces in Hogwarts did not allow for actual transportation, and instead only communication, it would take a few minutes for Dumbledore to arrive. Hermione used that time to take a cold washcloth and help Harry calm down.

Several minutes later, the Headmaster walked through the portrait hole into Potter Tower with an envelope in his hand. He took one look at Harry, who was still pale from his nightmare, and sat down in a chair heavily.

"What is the matter, Harry?" he asked. "Another nightmare?"

Harry nodded. "I thought I was over them since I haven't had one in so long. The last one I can remember is…I think it was about the Hydra. But this one…I don't know about it."

"What did you see?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"It might be better if I showed you," he replied. Harry stood and walked over to a cabinet in his and Hermione's room. He returned a moment later carrying a pensieve that he had purchased a month prior in Diagon Alley. With his wand, Harry pulled a thin shimmering strand from his temple and dropped it in the dish. Swirling it around a few times, Harry put his wand to the side and nodded to the others. All three dove into the pensieve to view Harry's memory.

Their vision cleared to reveal what appeared to be what served as the Minister of Magic's office at the Ministry building. From the looks of it, it was the same room that Harry had stunned Amelia Bones in during the battle there, but more dimly lit.

Voldemort was seated in an oversized leather executive chair behind a desk that was near the center of the room. A row of bookcases lined the wall behind him, however they were all empty. The door to the office opened, letting a ray of light from the outside reception area inside. Into the office walked Lucius Malfoy, who bowed before the Dark Lord.

"You called for me, my master?" he said, his head still bowed.

"Yes, now rise, Lucius," Voldemort commanded. "The time is at hand. Take all of my followers and complete your mission. You will use your cover to aid you, so there is no excuse for failure. But remember what must be done first."

"I do, my lord, and I shall not fail you."

"See that you do not. For if you do, there are far worse things than the Cruciatus curse that I could subject you to. But for a comparison…Crucio!"

Malfoy writhed in pain on the ground for a few seconds, letting out screams of agony that caused the three observers to wince. But as quickly as it had been initiated, the curse was lifted, leaving a panting, pained Lucius Malfoy lying on the ground.

"I understand, master," he said painfully, attempting to rise.

"Excellent. Now, leave me, and fulfill your mission. I will remain here at the Ministry building alone while you take my followers to do my bidding. Take some time to prepare, and make your move at nightfall. I hope to hear positive news soon, Lucius."

With a bow, Malfoy left the room, once again leaving Voldemort alone in the dim room with the three invisible observers. Signaling that the memory was over, Harry pulled out of the pensieve, followed almost immediately thereafter by Hermione and Dumbledore.

Harry sat back down on the couch. "It's always whenever he performs the Cruciatus curse that causes the problems for me," he explained. "But anyway, now we have this new piece of the puzzle to figure out."

"It is not that difficult to understand, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort is obviously sending his Death Eaters out on a mission with Mr. Malfoy at the head. They will attack somewhere that Mr. Malfoy has influence, somewhere where he is already well established. That leaves Voldemort unprotected in the Ministry."

"So this is our chance?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore nodded.

"We must make haste and act, for this window will likely close soon," he added. He made a move for the door.

"Wait," Harry said. "It's not right. Something's wrong with this picture. Think about it. Why would Voldemort be so blatant about the fact that he would be staying behind, _alone_? Why would he be foolish enough to send all of his Death Eaters out while leaving himself no protection? It doesn't add up. I think he wants us to think that he's unprotected at the Ministry. But why would he do that? Unless…" he trailed off.

"What? What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked urgently.

"He knows that we'd come after him. He knows that, seeing this dream, that we'll try and take the bait. It has to be a trap."

"But that would mean that Voldemort has been somehow feeding you these dreams, Harry," Dumbledore countered. "Why would he do that and give away so many of his secrets? It is through one of these dreams that we learned of the Hydra protecting Hufflepuff's cup."

"What if it was all part of some grand scheme, Grandpa? Let's just think about this for a second. Voldemort's overarching plan is to get to and open the portal underneath Hogwarts, right? So that is more important than anything to him. If given the choice between sacrificing a Horcrux, or sacrificing the entire plan, I think the choice is clear. He used the Horcrux to lure us into a false sense of security, to make us think that the dreams were real. That way, when it came time for this one, we would jump at it, no questions asked."

"Then why would he want us to fall for this one, then?" Hermione pressed.

"It could only be one of two things. Either there's a trap in the Ministry, which I think is unlikely, or he wants to get us away from Hogwarts. But there can only be one reason for that."

"An attack on the school," Dumbledore concluded.

"Exactly. He wants to get us and the Order away from Hogwarts, leaving it undefended. Without us here, Hogwarts would be an easy target. It would fall like a house of cards, allowing Voldemort access to the portal. I can't believe how close we came to falling off the edge of the knife."

"Then we must take action," Dumbledore announced. "But first, before I forget, I received this letter just before you summoned me." He handed the envelope he had brought to Harry, who tore it open and pulled out the letter. Harry scanned it quickly, before dropping it on the table in front of him.

"Well, that answers one question," he said simply. Curious as to what he meant, Hermione and Dumbledore peered at the open letter on the table.

_HP_

_They are coming._

_MG_

That was it. One simple line, addressed to HP, which Hermione and Dumbledore assumed was Harry Potter.

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked.

"Gladstone," he replied. "Looks like we were right. He must have found some intelligence to suggest that an attack on Hogwarts is imminent."

"You got all that from a three word note?" Hermione asked skeptically.

Harry shrugged in response. "Who else could he mean by 'they?' Aliens? The circus? Come on, Hermione, the only ones he could mean are the Americans. They're coming to attack."

"Well there's a rosy picture," Hermione said sarcastically. "But he could have offered more than just one line. He could have given us information about troop strength, strategy, or something else that's more valuable. Instead, this is all he gave us."

Harry put his hand up to stop Hermione and calm her down. "Easy, Mione. It looks like it was written in a hurry, which could suggest a number of things. I think he just wanted to warn us as soon as possible, since he knew that the attack would be soon."

Suddenly, Dumbledore tensed up. Harry and Hermione turned their heads to look at him as his face paled.

"What is it, Grandpa?" Harry asked frantically. "What's wrong?"

A bit of color returned to Dumbledore's face as he began to speak. "I am sorry if I frightened you. It appears that the wards around my office have been breached. By whom, I am unsure."

"How did you know that?" Hermione asked.

"As Headmaster, the spirit of Hogwarts communicates with me. If there is an emergency somewhere in the castle, I am alerted to it. It is a most unpleasant experience, as you two have now seen, and for that, I apologize. But you must excuse me while I investigate the disturbance."

"Wait a second," Harry requested. He bolted up and ran into the master suite, returning a moment later with an old, folded piece of parchment. "Maybe this'll be easier," he suggested. He opened it up to reveal that it was simply a blank piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said.

Instantly, ink spread across the page, creating a map of Hogwarts. The Marauder's Map. "Now we just have to find your office to see who's there," he said. The three pored over the map for a moment before Harry spotted the office. "There!" he exclaimed. As he looked more closely, his excitement drained. "Well, that confirms it."

Dumbledore and Hermione looked at where Harry was pointing at the map. At the tip of his finger was a small drawing of the Headmaster's office, and within it, there was a lone dot in the corner. The dot was labeled Lucius Malfoy.

"He's here," Harry said quietly. "Let's go." Harry burst out of the portrait hole and broke into a run down the corridor towards Dumbledore's office. He turned his head after a moment to see that Hermione and Dumbledore were hot on his heels.

It took them just over two minutes at a full run to make it to the gargoyle, which swung open at their approach. The three were slowed to a stop as they rode the stairs to the top. As soon as they stopped, Harry threw open the door and the three rushed inside and stopped cold.

Dumbledore stepped to the front of the group and addressed the lone figure in the room. "Mr. Weasley, I must ask that you leave this office immediately. We have reason to believe that there is a Death Eater present here."

Ron looked at the Headmaster curiously, then glanced at Harry before nodding. He began to walk towards the three, and the door behind them. It was at this moment that Harry decided to glance at the Marauder's Map, which he was still holding. He wanted to find out where Malfoy had gone. He looked at the map, and then back up just as Ron passed by him.

With one swift motion, Harry punched Ron in the side of his head as hard as he could, knocking the redhead to the ground, unconscious.

"Harry! What're you doing?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Before answering, Harry pointed at the map. "That's not Ron," he explained. And it was true. There, on the Marauder's Map, the image of the Headmaster's office remained. Inside of it, there were four dots, three of them were labeled Harry Potter, Hermione Potter, and Albus Dumbledore. But rather than the fourth one being labeled 'Ron Weasley,' it was labeled 'Lucius Malfoy.'

In a panic, the three looked at where Ron/Lucius had been standing when they entered. Sure enough, the cabinet in the corner that normally held the Hogwarts ward stone was open, and the cradle inside was empty. In addition, the window right next to the cabinet was open, the gaudy curtains favored by the Headmaster fluttering in the light breeze.

Harry rushed over to the window and looked out and down to see if the stone was directly below them. While the ground was several stories beneath them, he could see nothing except for grass. He took another look at the Map to see if there was anything else he could see.

"Damn," he swore for the second time that day. He pointed at one dot, which was moving quite quickly towards the Forbidden Forest. It was Ginny Weasley.

"She must have the stone," Hermione hypothesized. "He must have dropped it to her."

"Mione, I hate to do this to you, but you're the only one who can get to her before she disappears," Harry said.

It took Hermione a second to realize what Harry was referring to, but once she did, she nodded and stepped back a few steps from the window. She then ran towards it and dove out the window, smoothly transforming into her eagle form as she fell. In an instant, Harry and Dumbledore saw her bird-like form soar upwards and then back down slightly, targeting the Forbidden Forest. But as Harry glanced at the Map again, he realized that Hermione actually would not reach Ginny before she entered the Forest. He could only hope that she was able to stop her inside, because without that ward stone, Hogwarts was almost completely defenseless.

Hermione soared as an eagle towards the Forbidden Forest. As soon as she had left the castle window and transformed, she had been able to spot Ginny from a good distance away. However, as Hermione got closer to the fourth year student, she entered the Forest.

_Great,_ Hermione thought. _She's in the Forest. I've never done well there, but then again, not many can. Should I follow her though? I could get lost, or worse. There's a reason why Albus warns the students every year not to go in there. But I'm more powerful and experienced than any student, right? And if I don't follow her, she could find a way to get rid of the ward stone. So much for having a choice._

Her mind made up, Hermione flew as close to the ground as she could, approaching the Forest quickly. She wanted to cover as much ground as possible before having to land and transform back into her human form. Finally, with only a few feet to go before the first line of misshapen trees, Hermione landed expertly, having practiced in her eagle form almost daily since she had been released from the hospital wing. She then transformed back into her human form and whipped out her wand. Lighting the tip, she proceeded cautiously into the Forest, intent on finding Ginny.

As soon as she entered, it seemed as though the light of the sun had been shut off. The canopy of trees was so thick that it was cutting off most of the light, and was instead replaced by an eerie blue-green glow that seemed to tinge everything in sight. Mangled tree roots jutted out of the ground at odd angles, and fallen branches dotted the earth. In a stark contrast to the lush green that led up to the boundaries of the forest, the interior held little to no grass, and instead of the smooth untarnished ground outside, the ground was uneven, full of crevasses and pits.

"Ginny!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. But no response came. Not knowing where Ginny had gone once she entered the Forest, Hermione went straight, following the path that Ginny had been walking when she entered. It was her hope that the redhead had not strayed from her path.

As she walked, Hermione couldn't help but wonder how it had come to this. How had Ginny come to be in league with Lucius Malfoy? And why was the Map showing Ron as Malfoy?

_It doesn't make sense,_ she thought. _Unless he used Polyjuice potion. That would make sense. Actually, I can't believe we missed the clues all along. Ron was never there when we saw Lucius, at least since…second year if I remember correctly, maybe third. But then what happened to Ron?_

These were the thoughts that ran through Hermione's mind as she traced the path of Ginny Weasley, now in a jog. She jumped over outcroppings and roots, trying desperately to close the gap. After running for several minutes, Hermione stopped.

In front of her, there was what looked to be a small clearing in the middle of the Forest. Sun shone through the canopy, lighting a large circular area about fifty feet in diameter. A few stumps littered the ground, making it appear that this was a man-made clearing. Hermione ducked behind a tree on the edge of the clearing, and peeked her head around the trunk.

There, in the middle of the clearing, stood Ginny, but she was not alone. Hermione counted six Death Eaters in front of her, arranged in a sort of semi-circle around Ginny. Hermione watched as Ginny looked around as she pulled an obsidian cube from her robes and hand it to the Death Eater in front. What Hermione noticed above all else, however, was the glazed look in Ginny's eyes as she looked around.

_She must be under the Imperious curse,_ Hermione thought. _That must be how they found out we were in Washington, D.C. No wonder Ginny wasn't too talkative on the mirror. She just relayed the information while under the curse._

The lead Death Eater took the cube and wrapped it in a piece of green cloth he produced from his black robes. Handing it to one of the other Death Eaters, the leader pulled out his wand and aimed it at Ginny, who stood not three feet away. She made no effort to move.

"Ginny! No!" Hermione yelled, not hearing her own shout in her panic. But she was too late. Everything went silent to Hermione as the green jet of light hit Ginny at point blank range. The redhead crumpled to the ground, her lifeless body collapsing in a heap.

In a fit of rage, Hermione leapt from behind the tree. "Avada Kedavra!" she shouted. Her own killing curse sliced through the air, flying towards the Death Eater who had killed Ginny. But it was to no avail. The six Death Eaters apparated away seconds after killing Ginny, taking the ward stone with them. Hermione's curse passed through the air harmlessly, slamming into a tree on the other side of the clearing.

Hermione raced to where Ginny's body lay, and in a futile attempt, searched for a pulse. The logical part of Hermione's mind knew that she would find none, but the emotional side would not let the girl, who had been proven innocent, to die. But alas, it was to no avail. Ginny Weasley, the youngest in a family of seven children, and the first female born in the Weasley family in generations, was dead.

Hermione levitated Ginny's body into the air and slowly began the walk back to the edge of the forest. Hermione had never dealt well with death, but she had never had anyone die that was extremely close to her. Ginny was the closest. In her first life, Ginny and Hermione had been friends, until Hermione had discovered Ginny's attempted seduction of Harry using a love potion. She had never forgiven her after that. But that didn't change the relationship they had had. And now, Hermione felt as though she was partly to blame for the death of the youngest Weasley. She had not believed Ginny when she came to Dumbledore, alleging that she had been put under the Imperious curse. Now it turned out that she was telling the truth.

It took fifteen minutes for Hermione to exit the Forest, and another several to enter the castle. Before doing so, Hermione cast a disillusionment charm on Ginny's body, so as to not cause a panic as she took her up to the hospital wing.

She saw Harry in the corridor as she walked. "Bring Draco to the hospital wing," she said solemnly, before turning and continuing on her journey.

When she arrived, Hermione laid Ginny's body down on one of the empty beds, and drew the white sheet over her face. It was the hardest thing Hermione had ever had to do.

Hermione sat down in the chair next to the bed heavily. Then she cried. Into her hands she cried, but not for herself. She cried for Molly, and Arthur, and Fred and George. She cried for those who had become her family in her previous life, those who she knew would have never betrayed her. It was for them that she was truly sad, for they had done nothing to bring this upon themselves. They had suffered so much in this war, from the loss of Percy two years before, to the death of Ginny now, to the uncertainty about what had happened to Ron. Hermione didn't know how they would cope.

Against this backdrop, the doors to the hospital wing swung open, and Harry and Draco walked in. Hermione turned her head as they walked in, and rose from her seat. She wrapped both arms around Draco in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his ear, before releasing him. She nodded to Harry, and took his hand, leading him out of the room. As they walked out the door, Hermione turned her head to see Draco lifting the sheet from Ginny's face.

As soon as they were in the hall outside, Harry and Hermione heard the sobs from inside.

The doors to the Room of Requirement opened for Harry Potter an hour later, to reveal a large, dimly lit room made entirely of concrete. A lone light hung from the ceiling, casting a golden glow around the room, yet not even illuminating half of the expansive space. As Harry walked in, a simple wooden chair appeared, and Harry dragged it into the middle of the light.

"Bring him in," Harry barked, through the door that was still open.

Dan dragged the unconscious form of Lucius Malfoy, still disguised as Ron Weasley, into the room. They had decided earlier that they would not flatter him with any amenities, magical or otherwise. That meant being dragged instead of levitated. Harry helped Dan lift Malfoy onto the chair, where he slumped, no longer supported by either of them. Harry and Dan then conjured some rope and bound Malfoy to the chair so that he could not escape.

Harry had convinced Dumbledore to let him handle this his way, without interference, so the Headmaster had instead busied himself with preparing the castle for battle. Only Harry, Dan, and Sirius were visible in the room. For some primal reason, Harry wanted the proceedings to be as muggle as possible. The only non-muggle aspect of this episode would be the potions they would use.

Focusing on his immediate needs, Harry was soon gifted with a bucket of ice water by the room. With an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, Harry hefted the bucket into the air and threw its contents at Malfoy's head. The Death Eater regained consciousness quickly, and shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Seeing Harry staring him in the eye, Malfoy spat at him, striking Harry in the cheek.

Slowly wiping the spit from his face with his hand, Harry spoke. "Sirius," he said. "the potion."

Sirius Black stepped out of the shadows with a vial of light green potion in his hand. Dan pried Malfoy's mouth open with both hands, while Sirius poured the concoction down the Death Eater's throat. Using his free hand to massage the man's throat, Sirius forced the potion down. He and Dan then stepped back to stand alongside Harry, who had his arms crossed expectantly across his chest.

A moment later, the image of Ron Weasley began to mutate and transform, and within seconds, the three in the room were staring into the real face of Lucius Malfoy. Just as the transformation ended, Harry could hear the door to the Room of Requirement open slightly, letting in a sliver of light, but he paid it no attention.

Seeing that the transformation was complete, Harry cast off his robe and tossed it on the floor. Then he removed his tie and tossed it on the robe before rolling up the sleeves of his Oxford shirt.

"I've always wanted to do this," he said sinisterly as he finished rolling up his sleeves. "You know, we tried Legilimency on you while you were unconscious, but you have remarkable Occlumency skills, even when knocked out. That also rules out veritaserum as well. So we'll do this the old fashioned way. What do you know of muggle interrogations?"

As much as Harry disliked the concept of torture, he needed information. He knew that Malfoy had inside information about Voldemort's operation, and that an attack on Hogwarts was likely imminent. At that point, there was almost nothing Harry wouldn't do for information.

"You're wasting time on me," Malfoy sneered. "The Dark Lord will slaughter you, your pathetic mudblood, and every other mudblood lover in this sad excuse for a school."

"We'll see about that. But anyway, I'll take that as a no. So let's start out nice and simple, shall we? What kind of force does Voldemort plan to bring here?"

"Go to hell, Potter," Malfoy spat again, this time just missing Harry's face.

"Wrong answer," Harry replied snidely. "I'm going to enjoy this." He then punched Malfoy square across the jaw, causing a loud crack to reverberate against the concrete walls. Sirius winced at the sound.

Harry shook his hand to get rid of the pain. "Now, let's try this again. What is the force?"

"You honestly think your pathetic interrogation will get me to talk? I've seen worse at the hands of the Dark Lord. You'll never break me. So you can go f-" Another crack cut Malfoy off, as Harry's fist sent a tooth and droplets of blood flying this time.

Harry conjured a towel to wipe the specks of blood from his hand, and discarded the towel on the floor. "You don't learn very quickly, do you Malfoy? That's twice you didn't answer my question. Trust me, you don't want to do it again. Now, let's try a different question. Where is Ron Weasley?"

"You hit like your mudblood whore!"

His face inches from Malfoy's, Harry wandlessly summoned Dan's sidearm from its holster, a move that surprised the older man.

"You see this?" Harry asked, pulling back from Malfoy. "It's a muggle weapon that uses an explosion to fire a piece of metal. As it pierces the skin, it destroys everything in its path. Bones. Organs. Everything. All of them destroyed. It's quite barbaric, really, compared to some of the things we can do with magic. But at the same time, it holds a certain charm. Now I'll ask again," he said, pressing the gun to Malfoy's upper leg, "where is Ron Weasley?"

But Harry received no answer. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before following through with his threat.

Harry fired a single shot into Malfoy's right leg. Blood splattered upwards from the wound.

Malfoy's howl echoed in the room for several seconds as he threw his head back in pain. Dan and Sirius closed their eyes. As deep as their hatred for this man went, and as much as they knew that they needed information, they couldn't bear to watch.

"Oh, stop your crying, Malfoy," Harry sneered. "It's just a flesh wound. Next time it'll be your knee." To emphasize his point, Harry moved the barrel of the gun down towards the man's knee, pressing it down for good measure. "All I want is information. That's it. Just tell me what you know and this will all stop."

"You're lying," Malfoy sneered painfully. "You'll just kill me when I'm done."

"Malfoy, I swear to you that I will not kill you," Harry said sincerely. It was true, he had no intention of killing the blonde.

Malfoy seemed to consider this for a moment as he once again winced in pain. "Fine," he said, clenching his teeth. "I'll answer some of your questions. Let's start with the last one you just asked and get this over with."

"Great," Harry replied, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Now, where is Ron Weasley?"

"He's dead. He was of no use to us after today, so we disposed of him."

Harry nodded solemnly. "And how long were you keeping him? How long were you disguised as him?"

"Just after the return of the Dark Lord. He wanted someone to keep an eye on you, to watch your movements. I was lucky enough to be chosen for the task. So the summer after his return, we took the Weasley boy and I replaced him. Nobody noticed the difference."

"So you're saying that you've been spying on us for almost three years? That you've relayed everything to Voldemort?"

"Yes, now let me go!" Malfoy wheezed, still suffering from the wounds Harry had inflicted.

"I never said we would let you go," Harry responded cheekily. "I said that this would all stop. Now is that what you want? Because the longer that wound goes without treatment, the worse it is for you. It must be really painful."

"Yes, I want this to stop!" he shouted painfully.

"Not quite yet. I still have more questions for you. You never answered my first question: what kind of force is Voldemort bringing?"

"I'll die before I give up the Dark Lord's secrets." Ignoring his previous threat, Harry fired another shot into Malfoy's left leg, above the knee. Another howl echoed throughout the chamber. "I answered your other questions, now let me go!" Malfoy screamed a moment later.

"I see. Draco? I think we should stop with this, don't you?" Harry asked the darkness behind him.

Draco Potter stepped from the shadows, a look of cold fury etched onto his face. His pale face was stained with the trails of tears, and his hair was messy, reflecting his anguish. As he walked past Dan, Draco pulled his wand from his robes.

"You killed my girlfriend," Draco hissed dangerously. "You killed the girl I loved. You took her away from me! How could you do that to the person you considered to be your son?"

"You are no son of mine," Malfoy spat.

Draco was silent for a moment as he considered Lucius's words.

"No, you're right. I'm not."

Draco had aimed the wand between the Death Eater's eyes. Lucius closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

But nothing came.

Several seconds after closing his eyes, Malfoy cautiously opened them, one at a time, to see Draco still standing in front of him, his shaking hand still gripping his wand. But he hadn't fired. He hadn't killed him.

"Still as pathetic as ever, Draco?" Malfoy smirked. "Living with these mudbloods and mudblood lovers has made you soft." But in his gloating, Malfoy didn't see a red beam race towards him.

The stunner from Harry's wand hit Malfoy square in the chest, knocking him out instantly.

"See, I told you I wouldn't kill you," Harry whispered to the incapacitated Death Eater. "That'll come later."

His hands shaking, Draco lowered the wand before dropping it to the ground with a clang. He then dropped to his knees and hung his head in anguish. Seeing his pain, Harry walked over to the kneeling blonde and lifted his chin with one finger.

"Hey, Draco, it's okay. He's not going anywhere. I know how hard it is, but the fact that you didn't kill him makes you the better person.. He was responsible for the death of countless innocents. He abused you at every turn. He conspired with the darkest wizard in history to commit genocide. You did the right thing. You showed that you weren't him."

"Yeah, I guess. But I can't believe I couldn't do it. I was just so…I don't know. I just can't stand it to see him still alive after all he's done. But I couldn't kill a defenseless person."

"He was hardly defenseless. True, he may have had no defense right now, but he didn't have to make the choices he did. That was where his true defense lay. That is what separates you from him. He killed to further his own goals. He killed to incite chaos. To destroy the world. But you were the bigger person. His time will come. Perhaps it will be you who will finally kill him. There's no way to be certain. Just remember that, when it happens, he will be killed for the sake of the world. Killing for the sake of killing is evil, but killing for the sake of good can be necessary."

"How did you get to be so wise, Harry?"

"Let's just say I've had some help from a higher power."

Harry, Draco, Dan, and Sirius exited the Room of Requirement, having asked Dobby to hide Malfoy somewhere in the castle, so that they could resume their interrogation later. Harry found it oddly amusing that Dobby was so willing to help, but just laughed when the house-elf 'accidentally' dropped his former master a few times in the process of moving him. As the four left the Room, Dumbledore came bustling up to them.

"Harry, I just received word from Aberforth in Hogsmeade that a group apparated into town asking for directions to the school. The leader of the group identified himself as a Mr. Gladstone."

"Gladstone? What's he doing here? I thought it would be enough that he sent us the note."

"Apparently not. At any rate, based on the time since I spoke with my brother, they should be arriving at any moment," Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded. "Then we'd better get down to the gate and greet them properly, right?" He took off towards the main doors to the school, with the other four right behind him, Draco bringing up the rear. It took them a few minutes to reach the front gates and open them. Just as they did so, they were able to see Gladstone and what appeared to be roughly a dozen followers cresting the hill leading up to the school.

"Hey, Mike," Harry said nonchalantly. "What're you doing here?"

"Harry," Gladstone acknowledged. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I presume?" Dumbledore nodded and shook the former American agent's hand before turning and leading the group towards his office. "There are bigger forces at work here. I've dug around and found a number of ties between Newton and some…less than savory individuals such as a certain Lucius Malfoy. I have reason to believe that Secretary Newton is a Death Eater."

Dan, Sirius, and Draco had a shocked look on their face, and Harry laughed at them for that. "Oh, come on. You can't think that's too much of a surprise, can you? The clues were always there, we just never connected the dots."

"Right," Gladstone said. "Newton's completely mental. He's pulled together the handful of Preventers that are completely loyal to him and he's coming here. In other words, from what I understand from my sources within the Department, he's going to attack Hogwarts."

"Makes sense," Harry said thoughtfully. "Voldemort's gonna make a move on the school too, and we think it will be today. It can't be coincidence that they're both coming for us."

"I think they will join forces. If Newton is a Death Eater, this will be his final act as Secretary. He was likely installed to give Voldemort a foothold in the United States. However, it may be that he is sacrificing that to give his master as much help as possible. I have a hunch that things haven't gone to plan for them."

"Unfortunately, they have," Harry replied. "At least to an extent. The main war wards around Hogwarts are down, thanks to a spy in our ranks that has been taken care of. So all we have to protect ourselves are some anti-portkey, anti-apparition, and blood wards, which are all built into the school. Oh, and whatever defense we can muster."

At that moment, the group arrived at Dumbledore's office. Gladstone's followers, with the exception of one, waited at the gargoyle while the rest of the group entered the office.

"So Newton plans to make his move on Hogwarts today," Gladstone continued. "I believe that he will attack the school before nightfall. I would put into place whatever preparations you have made."

Dumbledore nodded. He put his wand to his throat and muttered an odd incantation that was different from the typical Sonorus charm that Harry was used to.

"Attention, Hogwarts, this is Headmaster Dumbledore. Due to events beyond our control, it has become necessary to enact the Hogwarts evacuation plan. Students in third year and younger, as well as those without a permission slip to remain on campus, please return immediately to your common room. Prefects, please return to your common room and take attendance. Each of you should have received a list of students that will be evacuated. Once attendance is confirmed, please make your way to the statue near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Escort your students through the passage and to the Hogwarts Express as planned. Those students who are remaining on campus, please bring your permission forms and meet in the Great Hall. Once again, the Hogwarts evacuation plan is being enacted. This is not a drill."

Dumbledore pulled his wand from his throat, signaling the end of the announcement. As soon as Dumbledore finished, Gladstone spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he began, "I seem to have forgotten my manners. This is Andrew Collins." He gestured to the younger man in his mid twenties standing next to him. "He was sorta my right hand man back at the Department. I've known him since he was in the Academy. Trained him myself. He's here to help us out as well."

Everyone took turns shaking the newcomer's hand.

"Wait," Harry said, once they were done. "You said that Newton's a Death Eater." Gladstone nodded. "And that he will be bringing some Preventers with him." Again, Gladstone nodded. "Then it wouldn't make sense for them to join up with Voldemort. If those Preventers have even an ounce of intelligence, they will realize what they're doing as soon as they team up with the Death Eaters."

Gladstone shook his head. "There is always the possibility of a two-pronged attack. The Preventers could be used as canon fodder, meant to soften up your defenses, before the main attack force moves in. That is a possibility. Another less likely scenario involves Newton putting his people under the Imperious Curse. However, that is extremely unlikely, as Preventers are trained to resist the curse. Putting one under it may be possible, but putting many under it? Impossible."

"But what about the other possibility?" Draco suggested, speaking up. "What if the people Newton is bringing are also Death Eaters. Then they could join up with Voldemort easily."

"It's possible," Gladstone said thoughtfully. "But we can't be certain. All we can do is do our damnedest to defend the school."

"And we will do the best that we can. Mr. Gladstone, thank you for your help, and if you'd like Messrs. Potter, Granger, and Black will show you and your contingent to the Great Hall where our forces are amassing. Harry and I will join you shortly." Dumbledore said before he nodded to Draco, Dan, and Sirius, who led Gladstone out of the room, leaving Harry and Dumbledore alone.

"I'm going to call the goblins," Harry announced. "All the help we can get would be helpful."

"Excellent, Harry"

Harry walked over to the fireplace and threw a handful of floo powder in, calling for Director Ragnok of Gringotts. But instead of seeing the goblin's face, Harry was met with green static when he stuck his head into the emerald flames. He waited for a moment before withdrawing.

"All I got was static," he said.

Dumbledore furrowed his brow in concern. "That is not good, Harry," he said.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Such a result is only received when the floo connection is cut off. I am unsure about how, but I believe that our American _friends_ have cut off communications from Hogwarts. They are quite skilled in such tactics. I am not sure if regular Death Eaters would be capable of such an act."

"Well what about an owl?"

"Too risky," Dumbledore said dismissively. "An owl is an easy target, one that can be traced and, unfortunately, shot from the skies. I fear that we are now alone out here."

"Then if we are alone, we will make sure we do not go quietly, that the castle is not easily overrun," Harry concluded.

Dumbledore somberly walked over to his office window that overlooked the Hogwarts grounds. The sun was just beginning to set over the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

"It is said that at the end of all things, there will be darkness. The sun has begun to set."

Harry stepped up next to him and looked out the window as well. "Begun to set, perhaps. But it is not yet night."

Harry Potter hurried to Potter Tower from the Headmaster's office to prepare for battle. He threw open the door and rushed into the master suite, where he quickly changed into his white Order of the Gold Cross armored uniform. By now, all Order uniforms had been outfitted with shields, courtesy of the ward stones stolen from Death Eater houses. He also strapped on both wand holsters, one on each wrist. Finally, Harry opened his trunk and pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor, encased in its jewel encrusted scabbard. He strapped it onto his back and pulled a large bag out of the trunk before closing it and leaving the Tower.

Several minutes later, Harry entered the Great Hall to find it bursting with people. He had not expected so many students to remain, but it seemed as though almost all students older than third year, with the exception of most of the Slytherins, who had not returned after Christmas, had stayed.

Just inside the door, Harry bumped into Elizabeth.

"What do you think you're doing here?" he asked, somewhat angrily. "You were supposed to be on the train out of here! Didn't you hear Grandpa?"

Elizabeth nodded, ashamed. "Yeah, but he also said those with parent permission could stay. I thought that…well…since you were here…youwouldgivemeyourpermission," she finished in one breath.

Harry sighed resignedly. The train would already have departed by now, so it was no use trying to argue with her. As much as he wanted her out of harms way, he also wanted her nearby so he could keep an eye on her. He wanted to be there for her if she got into any trouble.

"Fine," he sighed. "But you're gonna stay with Grandma, all right. Make sure, whatever you do, you don't leave here. Is that understood?" Elizabeth nodded and hugged Harry. He hugged her back before breaking it and turning back.

Harry walked up the center aisle to the Head Table, where Dumbledore, Hermione, and Gladstone stood. Dan and Draco stood in front of and a step below them. As soon as Harry took his place, Dumbledore began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming, but time is short, so I will make this brief. We have reason to believe that in a short time, Hogwarts will be attacked by two separate factions, linked by common threads. The politics of the situation is not important, but suffice it to say that elements of the American magical military, as well as the forces of Lord Voldemort, will be set against us. It is up to us to defend the castle. We must not let it fall, we must not give in. Harry." Dumbledore stepped aside and allowed Harry to speak.

"For the last two years we have been giving you advanced Defense training that you would not normally receive, all in anticipation of this day. Well, now it's finally here, so here's how it's going to work. Most of the students will be positioned within the castle to defend if the front gate is breached. The Headmaster will be in charge of the defense of the interior of the school. Report to him for assignments. But we will not simply be defending the inside of the school. We will do as much damage to the attackers while they are outside as we can. For that, we will employ the Order of the Gold Cross, who will be under my command. Dan, here, will position his people in the four towers at the corners of the school. They will use sniper rifles to pick off the attackers. Draco?" Draco turned slightly to look at Harry. "It's time for your air force to go to work."

Draco nodded and turned back to the student body. Looking out into the sea of faces, he could see dozens of students he recognized, as well as others such as the entire Hogwarts staff, Remus Lupin and the staff of the Daily Prophet, and Ministry employees, including Amelia Bones, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Arthur Weasley. The patriarch of the Weasley family had just been informed of the fate of his two youngest children, and his face was etched with pain, as well as anger.

"The main part of our defense force will be stationed inside the castle. Those outside, such as Draco's air force and Dan's unit, will be meant to deal as much damage as possible before the castle is breached. Yes, I do unfortunately believe that the castle will be breached. But we will not let them take it. In order to deal as much damage as we can, I will be outside the castle as well, along with the remaining Order members."

Harry nodded and turned the floor over to Dumbledore again. The Headmaster waved his wand and a giant map of the school descended from the ceiling magically, and formed a backdrop behind him.

"Now," he began, "seventh years will be posted just inside the main gate to deflect the brunt of the attack. They have the most training and experience of all the students, so they shall be on the front lines. We are here to defend, not attack, so all fighting shall take place within the school. Once we go outside, we are open and defenseless. But back to the student deployment. Sixth years, you will be placed here," he pointed at the map at a location down the corridor from the main gate. Dumbledore continued to tell the students where they would be stationed, with the youngest students, the fourth years, at the back. They would be defending the second floor girls restroom. That particular order led to several confused looks, but Dumbledore refused to elaborate, but those at the front of the Great Hall knew what he was talking about.

Gladstone was allowed to retain command over his own forces, and it came as no surprise that they would stay with Harry's sword-wielding defenders, who would be on the front lines, even ahead of the seventh years, inside the main doors to the school.

After several minutes of planning and dispensing assignments, Dumbledore dismissed the group.

"The time has now come," he said. "Everyone, please report to your posts. But bear one thing in mind as the battle unfolds: our enemies will take no prisoners. Do not give them the pleasure of doing so either. We face an enemy that seeks to destroy our way of life, we must not let them succeed. We will not let them succeed, at any price. Now, please report to your stations."

There was a rustling of feet as the students of Hogwarts filed out of the Great Hall, with the exception of the members of the Order. As Harry watched, he couldn't help but notice that none of them seemed to be wearing robes. Instead, they were all dressed in common muggle clothing.

As they left, Remus pulled Harry aside.

"Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't be here tonight. It's that time of month."

It took Harry a moment to process the thought, but when he did, he nodded.

"But couldn't you just take the Wolfsbane potion and keep your mind?" he asked. "That way, you can still help us. The increased strength and stamina would really help."

Remus appeared to think it over for several seconds. Finally, he spoke. "Yeah, I think that could work. Sirius usually keeps some on hand for me so that I won't have to wait for him to brew it. I'll see you later." He turned and left the Great Hall.

When the only people left in the Great Hall were members of the Order and faculty members, Harry reached into the bag he had brought and handed out what appeared to be muggle headsets.

"These headsets are charmed to run off of your own magical energy," he explained as he handed them out. "I bought them on my last trip to Diagon Alley. They use very little energy, and will allow us to communicate with each other. All you have to do is say who you want to talk to first, and then speak. If you want to speak with everybody wearing the headsets, say 'all' before speaking. Otherwise, simply say the person's name. The Headmaster's and my own will also have the ability to connect with the school and make an announcement throughout the building as well. Any questions? Good. Now let's go."

The Order broke up by unit, with a group huddling around Dan, and another around Draco. Those two led their followers out of the Great Hall to take up their positions. The faculty followed, as there was going to be at least one professor with each group of students stationed around the school.

"Come on," Harry said to Gladstone and Hermione, and led them out of the Great Hall. They followed him up a few flights of stairs, which moved randomly. Despite having been at Hogwarts for nearly twelve years, when both lives were taken into consideration, Hermione had no idea where Harry was leading them. Finally, the reached a dark, narrow hallway with a single door at the end. Harry opened it for the others.

Passing through the door, the three found themselves standing on top of a wall overlooking the grounds of Hogwarts at the front of the school. The wall was about five feet wide, with a three foot guard wall also made of brick. The wall continued for several hundred feet in each direction, ending with a door into one of two towers on each side. From what Hermione could tell, one side ended at Gryffindor Tower, the other at the Astronomy Tower. It was the perfect location to oversee the battlefield.

The grounds in front of the school sloped gently downward for about a mile towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest, giving those in Hogwarts the high ground. Aside from the gravel path leading from the school's front gates, there was very little that dotted the green pasture, with the exception of Hagrid's hut. On one side of the field rested the Black Lake, and the other side was blocked by the Quidditch pitch. Due to this, the field at the front of the school was essentially enclosed on all sides.

The twins had placed a series of portable swamps on the grounds, and shrouded them with a disillusionment charm. They had provided a map to Harry of their locations, and Harry had made copies to pass out to other members of the Order. From Harry's perch atop the stone wall, he could not see any of the traps, which was perfect. If he couldn't see them, then the attackers shouldn't be able to either.

Satisfied with the preparations, Harry left Hermione atop the wall and took Gladstone down to the main gates. Hermione was going to remain on the wall to relay information to Harry about the battle and keep an eye on things.

Meanwhile, Dan and Emma Granger were climbing the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower. The dozen snipers that Dan had trained over the previous year had grown into a group of sixteen in recent months, as interest in the Order swelled. They had split into teams of two, and four sniper teams had gone to each of the two towers facing the expected battlefield. Dan and Emma had chosen to position themselves on top of the Astronomy Tower, while the other teams were at the top of the newly constructed Armory Tower.

As Dan reached the top, he looked down to survey the area. While his group had practiced frequently by firing from this tower at targets on the ground, he habitually checked to see what he was dealing with. Darkness was just beginning to creep over the grounds of Hogwarts, so Dan found it comforting that he had managed to procure night-vision scopes for all of his rifles.

He set down the large case he had been hauling through the halls of the school and proceeded to unpack and set up his large caliber sniper rifle. Emma, who had trained with her husband, also helped in this. She would be the spotter for Dan, using a pair of muggle binoculars, while Dan would be the one to physically fire their gun.

It took several minutes to set up the rifle and position it on the tower's edge. Content with its placing, Dan knelt down behind the gun and adjusted the scope for the distance to the ground. His mind was racing with thoughts about the impending fight. It had the potential to be the final battle of the war against Voldemort, but from the sounds of things, those at Hogwarts were woefully outnumbered.

Dan shook such thoughts from his head and focused on the matter at hand. It would do no good to focus on the negatives. True, he realized, that bad news can encourage one to do better, but there is a fine line between fighting against adversity and morale destruction.

"Harry," he called into his headset, "we're all set up here. Everything's in place."

Harry's voice crackled back across the system. "Great. We're about ready to go down here, too."

"What do you mean, ready to go?" Dan asked. "This isn't on our timetable. We're just sitting here killing time until they show up."

"You know what I mean, Dan," Harry said lightly. "I just meant when they show up, we'll be ready."

"Right, Harry," Dan replied. And his headset went dead. They figured it was only a matter of time now before the attack came.

So they waited.

Draco Potter and his miniature Hogwarts air force had taken off from the school courtyard, where Madame Pomfrey was busy setting up a triage center, should it become necessary. With Draco on his Firebolt and his team on their Nimbus 2001's, they had taken to the skies and circled the school a few times, trying to see if they could find their enemy. However, it was to no avail. Draco concluded that this was because the Death Eaters were staging in the Forbidden Forest somewhere, where the canopy was too thick to see through from the air.

He and his team had worked on several formations and aerial strategies, ranging from the traditional, to the more…inventive. The latter category usually involved Fred and George to some extent. Draco could tell from the steely look on their faces that their minds were not on mischief now. It was instead a look of anger that they bore, anger at the fates of their two youngest siblings.

Finished with their flyover of the school grounds, Draco led his air force to a point just in front of the school, overlooking the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The flyers stopped in a chevron formation, with Draco at the head, and waited.

The massive main gates of Hogwarts were closed and barred, and Harry waited behind them with Gladstone and their respective teams. All told, there were approximately twenty five of them, in addition to the seventh year students who were posted just inside the door. On cue, the doors opened, and Harry led the group out onto the grounds, the gates closing again once they were all outside.

Storm clouds were just beginning to form overhead, and within moments, great droplets of rain began to cascade from the heavens.

Just then, the trees at the front of the Forbidden Forest began to rustle. Harry turned to those behind him and spoke.

"You know, from what I understand from muggle movies and books, I'm supposed to give some kind of inspirational speech here. Something epic. Well that'd be pretty cliché, and I wouldn't want somebody who was reading the story of this to think I was stereotypical, so I'll just leave it at this: let's kick some ass."

With that, he drew the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. He took a few steps forward and stopped, looking down at the approaching army. The wind swept through his hair as the rain soaked it.

What appeared to be about one hundred American Preventers emerged from the Forest, all dressed in green camouflage. It took only a few seconds for the lot of them to completely leave the Forest. But they were not followed by any additional forces.

"Draco," Harry said simply.

"Yeah, I see them," the blonde's voice crackled back.

"Time to shine, Draco," Harry replied. "Do whatever damage you can for us." He looked up just after he finished to see the formation of brooms streak overhead. Harry took it as his cue to lead his forces towards the enemy.

"So it begins," he muttered.

End of Chapter 26

A/N: Please don't kill me! This might not have been what you were expecting, but it's what I've been trying to lead up to over the past several chapters. So please don't flame me...be nice... But anyway, next up is the battle chapter, which was the hardest chapter I've ever had to write. It went through at least three completely different versions before it got to the point where it is. It still needs some work, and hopefully it'll be okay by the time I post it.


	27. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Author's Note: Here is chapter 27...the absolute hardest thing I have ever had to write. I've had it read by a few people, so thanks go out to FictionA and jadesabrexiv for helping out there. But please, read it an enjoy it. I will say that battles are my weak spot in writing. I've already decided that there will be little to no big battles in my next story... :)

Chapter 27

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

Great sheets of rain cascaded from the heavens onto the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Blocked by black clouds, the sinking sun provided little light to the school's defenders. As night approached, the greatest light came from occasional lightning strikes, accompanied by foreboding cracks of thunder. Resting on a gentle hill, the school, and its defenders, overlooked a massive forest of black and twisted trees. It seemed appropriate to them that an attacking army would emerge from such a despicable place.

Perched atop his Firebolt broom, Draco sped towards the oncoming American attack force. A few moments before, around a hundred soldiers had emerged from the Forbidden Forest. This confused Draco, who was expecting a greater show of force from the world's most preeminent magical military. As it now stood, such a force could be defeated by the defenders of Hogwarts with relative ease. He could only assume that this was simply an advance force, with more waiting just inside the Forest.

Draco and his team had each put on Quidditch goggles for the battle, each of which had been charmed to allow for night-vision. In the darkness of the storm, they would prove pivotal.

"Draco," Harry's voice crackled over his communicator as the blonde and his followers flew towards the advancing force, "Gladstone's been scoping out that force with some enhanced goggles. He spotted several Preventers he knows are loyal to Newton. That's the confirmation we need. Go for it." With that, the transmission ended.

One of the strategies that Draco and his group had been working on since their formation was a bombing run. The main group would split up into pairs and make passes over the enemy, firing blasting curses toward the ground as a sort of bomb. They knew that it would only be effective in the early stages of a battle, but it was a way that the airborne students could inflict some damage.

Just as he passed over the front of the American line, Draco pulled out his wand and aimed it at the ground below him. In a practiced move that he and his air force had worked on and perfected, he split off from the group with his wingman Blaise Zabini, and began to fire simple blasting curses downward. Those behind him did the same.

"Confringo!" he shouted, loosing a beam of light towards the soldiers below. The curse hit the earth below and exploded, sending several bodies flying in different directions. Draco kept flying on, firing curses as he did so.

Smoke from the explosions filled the air. Great craters littered the field within moments of the first shot. Looking down, Draco could see a few dozen bodies littering the ground. Their curses had so far inflicted a good amount of damage.

Those flying behind Draco bombed the ground as well. Having learned from Draco what had happened to Ginny and Ron beforehand, a furious Fred and George exacted their revenge. The two flew side by side, bombing the ground, trying to inflict enough damage to ease the pain.

Suddenly, a swarm of tiny black dots rose from the tree line in the distance. Neither Draco or any in his group could make out what they were at first. But as they grew closer, it became clear. They were American soldiers also on brooms. Sleek, black brooms that Draco couldn't identify, but he could tell that they were fast. All told, there were about as many airborne Americans as there were members of his air force.

"Wonderful," he murmured to himself, his eyes wide. "We've got some competition," he told his followers. "Remember what we learned about aerial combat, and forget the troops on the ground. We've got bigger things to worry about now."

And so they did. Draco expertly dodged an unknown curse fired by the lead American airman, yet continued to approach him. Draco edged the front of his broom up, gaining altitude, until he was flying above, yet still towards the Americans. As he passed overhead, he began a 'Split S' maneuver.

He flipped upside down and went into a short dive, pulling up, right side up, directly behind the lead American.

"Incendio!" Draco yelled, igniting the American's broom and causing him to go into a dive, crashing into the ground with a disgusting splat.

Meanwhile, Fred and George battled as a team. Whenever they managed to get close to one of their enemies, they would smack them off of their broom with their beater bats. It was an extremely satisfying feeling. Utilizing years of prank experience, they also strung a rope between themselves to knock enemies off of their brooms.

But it was not all good news for the Hogwarts air force. As he fought, Draco watched as two of his group fell in battle. One's broom simply exploded under them, as a result of a curse, causing the student to fall to their death. The other appeared to be killed on their broom. Draco also watched as a fourth year member of the Order was knocked from their broom and fall, only for Cho Chang to swoop in and catch them in midair. She carried the fallen student back to the school.

He turned his attention back to the battle only to see something he didn't recognize emerge from the tree-line. What he saw was a dark green mass of metal, which appeared to be self powered. On its nose, it carried a massive barrel, which could only mean one thing.

"What's that?" he asked.

It took a moment for a response, but when it did, it came from Harry. Draco looked down as he heard his voice to see Harry and the others finally clash with the American force.

"It's a tank," he said.

"No, Harry," Gladstone corrected. "It's artillery. Magical artillery. They're gonna try and destroy the castle itself. It fires super powered blasting curses, drawing off of a massive magical reserve."

"Draco," Gladstone began, calling for the blonde, "the armor is weak at the top. It is most heavily defended at the front and rear, but they did not plan for an attack from above. Use that to your advantage."

"Draco, take it out. Do whatever you have to do," Harry said.

Draco eyed the three contraptions carefully. To the untrained eye, they looked somewhat like muggle tanks, but were black and carried a much longer barrel than any conventional tank.

"All units form up on me, diamond formation," Draco ordered. Within moments, the remaining nine flyers were arranged in a diamond formation with Draco at the head. They flew towards the first of three visible pieces of artillery, which had stopped once they had emerged from the forest. "On three, fire your strongest curse at the top of that contraption."

"One." Fifty feet from the first piece.

"Two." Now twenty. All wands were pointed at the ground.

"Three."

Lightning struck and raindrops continued to fall as jets of multicolored lights streaked towards the ground. The rain colored in the darkness.

As thunder boomed, the artillery exploded in a shower of flame and metal. Several American Preventers fell victim to the shrapnel.

Draco split his team in two with orders to destroy the remaining tanks. Four Hogwarts flyers took to each remaining piece of artillery. One group destroyed their piece first, as it was closer, before the second could reach their target.

The barrel of that vehicle, aimed at the great castle of Hogwarts, glowed light purple before launching a large ball of powerful magical energy. The ball screamed past Draco's head. Draco lost control of his broom from the concussive blast, and spiraled towards the ground.

Just after the canon fired, it was destroyed by the airborne defenders.

As Draco slammed into the ground, the ball of energy soared towards the castle, growing exponentially larger by the second. It slammed into the Astronomy Tower just before the top, causing rock and stone to fly in every direction.

"Dan!" Hermione heard Harry's voice crackle over the headset. As the Astronomy Tower was the tallest of the Hogwarts towers, Dan had chosen to command his forces from there. "Dan! Can you hear me?"

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked. "I think mum was up there too." Her eyes were wide with panic.

"Hermione, I'm going after Draco," Harry said slowly. "Take your broom and fly up to the Astronomy Tower. Check on your parents. Can you do that?" Hermione nodded, still somewhat in shock. She summoned her Firebolt, which took a moment to arrive in her hand. She launched herself into the air somewhat shakily, and sped towards the heavily damaged Astronomy Tower. The Tower still stood, however there was a gaping hole in one side and part of the crown, where Dan and Emma, along with a few snipers, were stationed.

She landed roughly, nearly falling as she did so. Recovering from her near mishap, Hermione took stock of the damage. Rubble was strewn everywhere, chunks of rock littered the floor as smoke still clogged the air. A lightning strike lit the area, allowing Hermione to see two bodies on the ground. She hurried to check them, but neither of them were her parents.

Suddenly, a massive slab of rock that had been leaning against one of the walls fell, sounding a loud boom as it landed. A large cloud of dust rose as the slab landed, causing Hermione to cough and close her eyes. She opened them again a moment later as the dust cleared, to see both of her parents huddled together where the slab had once stood. While they were bruised and cut, they were both alive.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermione exclaimed, running over to them and hugging them tightly. "You're alive!"

"What the hell was that?" Dan asked gruffly, wincing at Hermione's tight hug. It felt to him as though he might have a broken rib.

"The Americans had artillery. This tower's been hit. I don't know if it's still sound or not. We've got to get out of here before it falls!"

Dan jumped up and down a few times. "Seems sound to me." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Hermione, if it was going to collapse, it would have done so already. Now grab one of those guns, we've got work to do." He pointed at one of the two sniper rifles that had fallen to the ground in the explosion. The two-man team that had manned one of them was lying dead on the floor.

Hermione hefted the gun up and positioned it on the side of the tower facing towards the battlefield. Emma took the other one and set it up next to Hermione. Dan knelt next to his daughter to give her instructions.

"Now, I've seen you use the pistols we bought a couple of times, but I never saw you touch the sniper rifles. Trust me, these are completely different. Use the sight here," he pointed at it, "to line up your target. Since we're so far away, you have to take into account distance, wind, and other things. You also want to consider the Coriolis Effect. In other words, adjust your aim to account for the rotation of the Earth. I know it sounds complicated, but it's not that hard, especially since there are so many targets."

Hermione nodded and looked into the scope. It was a night vision scope, allowing her to clearly see the targets on the battlefield below. The first thing she saw was Harry streaking through the sky on his broom. She spotted one target and looked at the trees behind him to get a sense of the wind direction and speed.

"Okay, I've got one," she said.

"Good," Dan replied. Just then, Emma's gun let loose a shot, which echoed in the night. "Now, aim a little higher than you want to hit," Dan continued. "Since the bullet has to travel so far, it will lose altitude in mid-flight. You have to compensate for that. Got it? Now take a deep breath and hold it before firing. Holding your breath will allow you to maintain your aim better."

Hermione did as her father suggested. She took a breath and held it, holding her gun steady, while moving it slightly to maintain her aim as the target moved. Then, she pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed throughout the tower, and Hermione watched through the scope as her target's head turned into a red cloud.

"Great!" Dan said in praise. "One down, only about a hundred to go," he exaggerated. "Now onto the next one."

And so Hermione did. She alone, with the help of her father at times, replaced a sniper team that had trained for the past year. Amidst the rubble and bodies, Hermione Potter began to pick off American soldiers and do her small part in defending Hogwarts.

Preventers were surrounding Draco from all sides. From the air, the blonde did not appear to be moving. He didn't stand a chance. So Harry did the best thing he could think of. He angled his broom towards the closest Preventer.

Harry's broom slammed into the first Preventer, sending him flying into the air and over Harry's head. He continued to barrel through the next several, cutting a path towards the fallen Draco. As he neared the wounded boy, he jumped off of his broom.

Harry sliced through several Preventers on his way to the fallen Potter. His sword left a path of death and destruction in the mud behind him.

It took a considerable effort for him to reach Draco.

Unconscious, Draco was breathing heavily, bleeding from a large gash on the side of his head. Harry slung him over his shoulder before slowly trudging back towards his broom. But the Preventers had moved in on them, blocking access to where the Firebolt lay.

Quickly, Harry dropped Draco on the muddy ground. He drew the Sword of Gryffindor and charged into the small line of Preventers. Harry stabbed one of them cleanly through, kicked the body off of his blade. He then sliced the torso of another before spinning and using the sword to cast the killing curse at a third. All three were dead before the first body hit the ground.

Harry smirked in satisfaction before turning his attention back to Draco. He wandlessly summoned his Firebolt and kept his guard up while he waited. Within moments, it was in his hands. Harry gently lifted Draco onto the broom and mounted it behind him, holding the blonde with one hand, while gripping the broom with the other.

The two climbed rapidly, while dodging fire from the airborne Americans. When they reached a safe altitude, Harry turned the broom towards the Hogwarts courtyard.

They arrived after nearly one minute of flying.

There were two rows of beds that had been hastily conjured, each containing five beds. Several of them were occupied with students, but there were clearly empty beds.

Harry silently deposited Draco onto one of the empty beds before returning to his broom and taking to the air once more.

As he approached the front of the school, Harry was able to see the situation in its entirety. It appeared as though there were only a handful of Americans left, most of them engaged in one-on-one duels with members of the Order of the Gold Cross. A few were tending to fallen comrades at various locations around the battlefield.

Harry skidded to a stop next to Gladstone, who was fighting against a pair of Preventers. But the older man was barely holding his own. Harry drew his wand and took Gladstone's side.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry bellowed, instantly killing one of the two Preventers. As soon as the one fell, Harry noticed the other fall to the wand of Gladstone.

"Nice of you to show up," the American said cheekily.

"Had something I had to take care of."

Gladstone was bleeding from several cuts on his face, and had one sleeve torn. But other than that, he appeared unharmed.

The two looked around just as the last of the visible Americans fell to the defenders of Hogwarts. There were several students that lay injured or dead on the ground. Harry surveyed the scene with a mix of sadness and pride. Sadness at the loss of his students and friends, but pride at the fact that they had held their own so well.

"It's not over yet," Gladstone remarked, shaking Harry away from his thoughts.

"Right," Harry groaned in response. "Hey Hermione," he called, "can you see anything else?"

His wife's voice instantly appeared in his ear. "Nothing yet," she said.

"Well, for trying to wear us down, the Americans sure didn't do that much damage," Harry observed. Gladstone, ever the tactician, shook his head.

"They did what they were supposed to do. Do you honestly think that anyone would expect a few dozen troops to be able to take a castle that is as well defended as this? Of course not. They were only meant to pick off as many defenders as possible, to make it easier for the main force."

"Then where is this main force?" Harry asked.

As if to answer his question, the deep booming sound of drums echoed over the Hogwarts grounds.

"That can't be good," Harry moaned. "Everyone to me!" he yelled. On his orders, the others rallied around him, forming a tight-knit group.

Once again, the front edge of the Forbidden Forest appeared to come to life, as dozens upon dozens of figures began to emerge from its dark depths. This time though, instead of simply a few dozen American soldiers, there was a multitude of Death Eaters, with black robes and silver masks. But they were not alone. Joining them, some carrying large drums, were giants. Harry hadn't heard anything about Voldemort courting the giants, yet they were with him. But still, there were others, including a large band of normal-looking witches and wizards.

Overhead, the remnants of the air force of the Order of the Gold Cross was coming face to face with a new threat. A flock of black hooded creatures was descending upon them like a plague.

Dementors.

Harry knew that the small force above them couldn't hold their own against a force of what he estimated to be over a hundred Dementors. Grabbing his broom once again, Harry took flight, heading straight upwards. He stopped when he was directly in front of the remnants of Draco's forces.

"Get back to the castle!" he yelled over the drumbeats. "I'll hold them off as long as I can. Get back inside!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Harry looked behind him to see the remaining eight flyers turn back towards Hogwarts. He faced the oncoming Dementors again and drew his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted.

A great white stag erupted from his wand and charged towards the Dementors. The single Patronus chased off nearly a dozen of the hooded creatures before dissipating.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled again, loosing another ghostly creature on the demons. It again chased off several of the Dementors.

But still they came.

"Expecto Patronum!" a voice next to Harry yelled. He turned to see Hermione next to him, perched atop her Firebolt. Her wand released a large white otter towards the Dementors, scaring off several more.

"Thought you could use a hand," she said off-handedly, as Harry cast the charm once again.

"Thanks," Harry replied, as the Dementors got within a few dozen feet of the two airborne Potters. Sensing it was time to go, they quickly turned their brooms around and flew to the wall where Dumbledore still stood, overseeing the battle.

As they landed, Harry noticed the clouds in the sky begin to clear slightly, and the rain stopped. As much of a relief as that would have been, it was dampened by another factor. As the clouds parted, the night brightened under the light of the full moon. It took Harry a moment to process this fact.

"Shit," he muttered. He quickly joined the other two.

The three hurried to the interior of the castle, sealing the door behind them to keep the Dementors out. They had scared away several dozen of the monstrous creatures, but many more still remained and posed a threat to the occupants of the castle.

"Dan, Emma," Harry called over his headset, "get your people out of there." Atop the towers, the snipers were vulnerable to attack by Dementors. They would do more good defending the inside of the castle at this point.

The two Potters and Dumbledore rushed down to the front gates of the school. As they approached them, they saw them close as Gladstone and the others returned inside. The massive locks then clicked into place.

"They have a cave troll," Gladstone said, out of breath.

"Actually," Neville corrected, "they have four."

"Grandpa, how strong are these doors?" Harry asked the Headmaster.

"In all the years that Hogwarts has stood, no force has ever broken through them, Harry. You must find some solace in that."

"Yeah, but I don't know that the doors have ever faced attack by trolls _and_ giants combined," Harry said. Dumbledore appeared to think on this matter, but said nothing. That did little to reassure Harry.

There was silence as the defenders took up defensive positions just inside the main gates. The seventh year students were relegated to the back of the group, both for their own protection, as well as in consideration of their lesser training. Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore took cover against a wall, behind a suit of armor.

Then the banging on the great gates of Hogwarts began.

"So we come to it in the end," Dumbledore began. "The great battle of our time, in which many things will pass away."

"The end, Grandpa?" Harry asked.

But Dumbledore did not answer.

Hermione cocked her head at the wizened old wizard. "I didn't know you read muggle literature," she observed, trying to change the subject.

"It would be terribly vain of me not to, Mrs. Potter. Muggle literature can be incredibly rich and fulfilling."

Seeing the look of confusion on Harry's face, Hermione explained. "And I quote, 'So we come to it in the end…The great battle of our time.' You quoted Theoden from Lord of the Rings. You also quoted Shakespeare's Julius Caesar before."

Dumbledore raised one eyebrow in intrigue. "Really, now? I hadn't noticed." The twinkle in his eye as he spoke was not lost on Hermione. "But that aside, if this is to be our end…or my end, it will not really be my end. For there is a greater force at work in the world, and I like to think that there is a better place beyond this existence. For that reason, I do not fear the unknown; what is to come."

"You sound like a man on his death bed," Harry observed. The banging against the outside of the gates grew louder. Paintings shook on the walls from the impact.

"Harry, I have walked this earth for many years, and I know that my time is almost up. It may not be today, nor for several years. But I can feel that my time is coming to an end, and your time is just beginning."

Again, the great gates shook, the banging on the other side growing louder.

Another bang, this one followed by a loud cracking sound from the door.

"'There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;Omitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows and in such a full sea are we now afloat,And we must take the current when it serves,Or lose our ventures. '"

Harry and Hermione turned their heads towards Dumbledore, who had his eyes closed as he finished reciting. He opened his eyes after finishing.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Julius Caesar," Dumbledore replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Hermione remembered that I quoted muggle literature, and I could think of very few quotes that summed up our current predicament better. It talks of making the best with what you are given, and that you must, to paraphrase, 'go with the flow,' so to speak. One cannot fight fate. It would be foolish to even attempt to do so."

"I'll never understand you," Harry said, as he rolled his eyes. "We're sitting here, about to be invaded by an army of Death Eaters and Merlin knows what other creatures, and all you can do is quote Shakespeare?"

"There can be great comfort found in literature, Harry. It can be both inspirational, and enlightening."

"Yeah, I could use some inspiration right now. That and some encouragement. After all, it's a full moon tonight," Harry replied.

Hermione's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

Harry nodded. "Yep. I saw a bunch of normal looking people out there just before we came in. By now, I expect they've already transformed."

There was another great bang on the other side of the door, again followed by a large crack.

"Whatever comes through that door, hold your ground!" Harry yelled.

A final blow to the gates shattered the massive doors. Splinters of wood flew in every direction as students fled for cover.

Four trolls barreled into the main hall of the school. They were closely followed by a horde of werewolves, which were foaming at the mouth.

"Don't let them bite you!" Harry yelled, as he charged toward the first troll, blade at the ready.

The creature towered above him, roughly a dozen feet tall. It slammed its fist into the ground, which Harry dodged easily. As the fist hit the ground, he slashed at the arm with the sword. He knew that there was little magic he could use against a creature of such size and with such a thick hide.

The troll howled in pain and clutched its arm. Harry slashed again, this time at both legs.

The troll crumpled to the ground, laying on its side, moaning.

Harry gave the troll a look of pity. But pity did not stay his hand. He stabbed the troll through its throat. The troll twitched a few times, before going still.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Harry turned around. Two other trolls had fallen, while the third was being attacked by several of his Order members.

The werewolves, however, were another story.

Amidst the commotion, several students had fallen to the dark creatures, but many of the beasts had been killed, possibly from concentrated killing curses.

Harry paused to catch his breath for a moment. Then he heard a deep growl behind him.

Turning around, Harry was just in time to see a werewolf lunge at his throat.

Dan and Emma hurried out of the Astronomy Tower as soon as Harry ordered them to do so. They had seen the Dementors coming, and knew that their guns would do nothing against the foul demons of the deep. That, combined with the open nature of the towers, put them in a very vulnerable spot. They had to flee.

They left the sniper rifles in place atop the towers, not bothering to pack them back up due to time.

The parties from each of the two towers met up and made their way down towards the main entrance hall of the school. As they approached, the two Grangers could hear banging against the great wooden doors of the school.

As they grew closer to the entrance hall, the banging grew louder, and Emma could have sword she felt the floor shake from the impact. Paintings shook as they hung on the walls, suits of armor rattled at each blow.

But they did not arrive before the gates gave way.

They heard the great crack and assumed the worst. The group picked up their speed and rounded the last corner just in time.

As Dan careened around the last corner into the war zone, his eyes immediately fell on Harry, who was just turning around to face the werewolf behind him.

Dan whipped out his pistol and fired a single shot just as the creature lunged at Harry.

The beast died in midair, but landed on top of Harry. Both bodies fell to the ground in a heap.

Dan ran over to Harry and used all of his strength to shove the carcass off of his son-in-law. He reached out his hand to grab Harry's, and pulled the younger man back up.

"You okay?" he asked.

Harry brushed himself off and looked himself over for injuries. "Yeah, thanks to you," he answered.

The two turned to face the battle, which was still raging. Through the broken remnants of the main gate, they could see the horde still outside, waiting to get inside. But the Weasley twin's portable swamps were giving them some trouble.

"Harry, it doesn't look like we can hold them much longer here. There are just too many of them," Dan said.

The werewolves appeared to be falling rather easily, but not before taking several students with them. Harry could also see two werewolves fighting each other. One of them, he recognized easily, was Remus Lupin. He was doing his part to drive back the forces of Voldemort.

Despite this, Harry knew that sooner or later, the attackers would overwhelm them.

"I guess you're right," Harry replied finally. "Everyone," he said louder, "fall back! Fall back to the Great Hall!" The Great Hall was partly between the main entrance and the girls lavatory where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was.

So the retreat began. In waves, the defenders moved back towards the Great Hall where they would make their next stand.

Albus Dumbledore beat a steady retreat towards the Great Hall. However, he stopped early. He turned alone and faced the Death Eaters and werewolves.

With a wave of his wand, he animated over a dozen of the suits of armor that lined the hall. They creaked to life and began to attack the werewolves specifically, drawing attention away from the retreating students. Dumbledore then rejoined the others.

As they arrived outside the Great Hall, a good amount of distance had been put between the students and staff, and the attackers.

The group paused to catch their breath.

Just as they stopped, the remnants of Draco's air force arrived, led by Cho Chang.

"Sorry we're late," she said, breathing heavily. "We landed on the other side of the school for safety. It took us forever to get down here."

"That's fine," Harry said, somewhat annoyed. "What's important is that you're here now."

"How's Draco?" Fred asked, coming up behind the Ravenclaw. Actually, Harry wasn't sure whether it was Fred or George.

"He's alive," Harry replied. "But I'm not sure how he's doing since I left him with Madame Pomfrey."

"He's doing just fine," a voice from behind Harry said. Harry spun around to see Draco walk up to him tenderly. Seeing Draco up and about, Hermione rushed over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Easy! Easy!" he said. "Just because I can move doesn't mean I'm not sore. But I will say this: Madame Pomfrey is a miracle worker. Oh yeah, I was supposed to tell you she moved to a safer place. Now she's set up shop in the library. Anyway, I didn't want to sit on my lazy ass any more, so here I am."

"Great," Harry said sincerely. "What's taking them so long, Grandpa? We're in between them and the girls bathroom, so why aren't they here?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Let's just say that I took a few liberties with the property of Hogwarts. We should have a few moments of quiet before they arrive."

There was silence with the exception of a few whispers and the clinking of swords. No other sound could be heard, even coming from down the corridor where the Death Eaters allegedly were.

"Do you think we can do it, Grandpa?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

Dumbledore smiled kindly at Harry, making the younger wizard feel smaller and more childlike than he was. "Harry, anything is possible. We can do anything, so long as we believe we can. As long as hope remains, this battle can still be won. It is far from over, so do not despair. However, what is to come is not for us to decide." The Headmaster paused for a moment. "At any rate, the lack of further attack troubles me. If you'll excuse me, I will go check in on some of the other students farther back."

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore left the group. He retreated down the hall towards where the next group of students was stationed, just outside the library. The assignments had placed the seventh years just inside the main gates, the sixth years near the Great Hall, the fifth years near the library, and the fourth years near the second floor girls lavatory. Each position was meant to be a fallback position, with reinforcements available at each location.

He approached the library to find the main doors into the massive room guarded by several students, with many others stationed in strategic locations around it. He couldn't help but admire the looks of determination etched on their faces, as well as their strategic deployment. He would have to commend Harry later on his training of his students.

"Mr. Grayson," Dumbledore began, addressing the nearest student, "have you seen anything out of the ordinary thus far?"

The young man shook his head. "Nothing yet, Professor. Hasn't been anything but quiet down here."

Dumbledore nodded and continued along his way, making his way towards the girls restroom on the second floor. That was to be the last line of defense against the Death Eaters. Actually, Dumbledore reminded himself, the barriers in place blocking the Chamber of Secrets would be the last line of defense. Those, he felt, would be impossible for Voldemort to break through. They had also put up surveillance charms near the barriers to alert them if he ever managed to break through, just in case.

As he rounded the last corner to the lavatory, Dumbledore heard shouting. Shouting and other unidentifiable sounds. He quickened his pace. What he saw caused panic to rise in his chest.

A small band of fourth year students, no more than five, were engaged in a losing battle against more than a dozen Death Eaters. How the Death Eaters had made it past the front line, Dumbledore was not sure.

The students were backed up against a wall, firing curses for all they were worth. The small army of Death Eaters was directly in front of them, blocking all of their elementary spells.

Dumbledore quickly froze the ceiling above the Death Eaters, causing massive icicles to form.

With another wave of his wand, he broke the icicles off. They fell directly onto the heads of the advancing Death Eaters, impaling their skulls. All of them died quickly and painfully.

Peeking around the nearest corner to make sure there were no more Death Eaters waiting in the wings, Dumbledore made his way over to the beleaguered students.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked tenderly.

A young girl stepped forward. "I think so, Professor," she said timidly.

"What happened here?"

"They just came out of nowhere. I'm not sure where they came from, but it looks like they took some kind of back way through the school to get here. They were really intent on getting into the bathroom though. I don't know why."

"That's quite alright, Miss Rankin. But you had best come with me for now, just in case. Where are the others?"

"They're still inside the bathroom. We wanted to have a few of us outside, with most of us inside the bathroom just in case. You said to defend it at all costs. We're not sure why, but we wanted to do just that."

"And you have done very well…all of you," the Headmaster praised. "I am very proud of you for taking this so seriously and doing such a good job. However, I believe it would be best if you all followed me to the others, where you will at least have the option of more experienced backup."

"But Professor," the young girl protested, "I thought you wanted to defend this bathroom. Moving the defenders away doesn't make much sense to me."

"Do not worry, Miss Rankin. There are further defenses in place aside from you students. It is very unlikely that Voldemort would be able to get what he desires."

She nodded uncertainly before she and the others followed Dumbledore into the restroom farther down the hall to retrieve the other students. They had apparently not heard the commotion outside, and were therefore unable to render assistance.

The fourth year students followed Dumbledore away from the lavatory and back down the corridors of Hogwarts. They passed by the fifth year students near the library, but continued on, leaving those students in place.

As they approached the Great Hall, they could again hear the sounds of swords clashing, curses being shouted, and indiscriminate growling, likely from werewolves.

Dumbledore stopped for a moment. "Now, I want all of you to find a partner. Stay with them, work with them. But above all, stay near me. Do whatever you can to help out, but do not stray too far. Is that understood?" All of the students behind him nodded nervously. "Alright then, let's go."

With that, Albus Dumbledore turned to face the battle, and led the charge of the fourth years.

Minerva Dumbledore drew a white sheet over the face of yet another fallen student. She had seen far too many of her pupils fall this day, and her normally stern visage was beginning to crack. No longer was she able to hold back the tears.

She sat down in one of the library chairs shakily and put her head in her hands. She could remember the face of every student she had ever taught, she could remember all of their names. Never had she lost students in battle like this before. That was what caused her so much grief. Every student had a name. Every student had a past. Every student had a family, parents. Parents that would never again get to see their children, all thanks to the designs of some twisted fallen angel.

That was what Minerva could not understand. _How had such a diving being fallen to such levels that they would sanction the murder of children?_ She thought. _They're just children for Merlin's sake! They didn't deserve to get caught up in this mess!_

But caught up in it they were. There was nothing that could be done about that now. All they could do was pray and fight. And continue to bury and grieve for the dead.

Suddenly, Minerva felt a hand on her shoulder. She jerked her head up to see the solemn face of young Elizabeth Potter. The young girl took a seat in the chair next to her 'grandmother.'

"Hey, Grandma. You okay?" she asked gently.

Minerva shook her head tearfully. While she was not normally one to show emotion like this, she couldn't help herself. "No," she replied. "How has it come to this? That children should be fighting a battle reserved for adults? Why is it that the young perish and the old linger? This is not how it should be."

Elizabeth didn't answer, but instead just scooted closer and wrapped one arm around Minerva in a one-armed hug. The two sat like that for several minutes in silence.

"They were too young," the older witch said finally, referring to the covered bodies of the students in the Hogwarts library.

"You're right, Grandma," Elizabeth said softly. "But they knew what they were doing. They got their parents to sign the permission slip. They knew what was coming, and so did their families. Yes, there is a time to be sad, but do not let them die for nothing. If we sit here crying, we aren't doing anything to avenge them. We aren't doing anything to make their deaths count."

Minerva lifted her head and looked at the young girl. "Where did that come from?" she asked. "How did you come up with something so…grown up?"

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just said what I thought."

Minerva gave Elizabeth a small smile. "You're an incredible young lady, you know that? Never let anyone tell you otherwise. But since you're so wise, what do you think we should do?"

"Why don't you start by finding out how things are going?" Elizabeth suggested. Minerva nodded at her idea.

"Albus," she called into her headset. She had received one like the others left in the Great Hall after the meeting. It took a moment for a response to come through to her ear.

"Something wrong, Minerva?" her husbands voice responded.

"Not here, but how are things going out there?"

There was a pause for a moment. "We have been pushed back to the Great Hall, to our first fallback position. I have also had to pull the fourth years away from the lavatory on the second floor due to concerns about their safety. I just don't think they could hold off Death Eaters on their own."

"Is that all?" Minerva asked.

The Headmaster didn't respond for several seconds, and when he did, his voice was much quieter and lower. "Things do not go well, Min. We are vastly outnumbered. It is only a matter of time now. I suggest you begin to move the wounded and dead towards the Hogsmeade passage near the Defense classroom."

"Albus, you can't be serious!" Minerva objected. "You can't just give up the school!"

"Nor do I intend to, Minerva. As I have told you before, I will die before Hogwarts falls. However, for the safety of all of those in the library, I suggest you begin to evacuate."

Minerva closed her eyes and let it sink in. She was being told to abandon Hogwarts. Never had she expected to be given that order.

"Alright," she said shakily. She closed the connection and turned to Elizabeth. "We're leaving," she sighed.

"What!" Elizabeth exclaimed, earning herself a stern look from Madame Pomfrey, who was attending to a wounded student nearby. "What do you mean 'we're leaving?'" she asked in a quieter voice.

"Albus seems to think that we would be better off somewhere else, and we're taking the dead and wounded with us."

"You mean we're just giving up?" Elizabeth corrected. Minerva, shocked by her bluntness, nodded. Seeing Minerva's honestly, Elizabeth pushed further. "What else did you hear?"

"It doesn't sound like things are going well. I think Albus is just preparing us for what he feels is the inevitable." _Merlin,_ she thought, _I can't believe I'm having this serious of a conversation with an eleven year old._

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Elizabeth said, almost as if she had read Minerva's mind. The Deputy Headmistress looked at her in shock. "What?" Elizabeth asked, confused. But she got no response, only a shake of the head.

"Come on, Liz," Minerva said sullenly. She gave another look over to the corner of the library that had become a makeshift morgue. "So much of the future, so much potential, has died here today," she muttered. But Elizabeth heard.

Former Preventer Michael Gladstone took a deep breath after killing another werewolf. It seemed as though they kept coming, no matter how many were killed. In a way, he felt a sense of guilt, killing the creatures, as he knew deep down that they were completely innocent. They were simply civilians that had been caught up in the nasty business of war. However, the more logical part of his brain, the part molded by military service, told him that in war, there were casualties, and that the loss of innocent life was the price one paid in war.

So, succumbing to his training, he turned off the emotional part of his brain and trusted the logical part. He knew there was no grieving for the loss of the innocent, not until after the battle was won.

Just as he turned back to the battle, he saw a familiar face emerge from the sea of Death Eaters.

"Newton," he said dangerously, gripping his wand tighter.

The American Secretary of Magic approached him with an evil smile upon his face.

"Michael, how nice to see you again." He surveyed the pile of bodies around his former agent. "And it looks like you've been busy too."

"No thanks to you, _Richard_," Gladstone sneered.

Newton put his hands up in protest, holding his wand in one. "Now don't go taking that tone with me, I'm not the one responsible here."

Gladstone hardened his gaze. "Oh, really…Avada Kedavra!" He fired the green curse at the exposed Secretary, trying to take advantage of his prone position. However, the older man was more agile than he appeared, and easily dodged the curse. He regained his footing, standing only a few feet from Gladstone.

"Crucio!" Newton yelled, but Gladstone leapt to the side and dodged the curse aimed at him as well. He returned fire with a second killing curse in mid leap, which was poorly aimed as a result. It impacted the wall behind Newton harmlessly.

"The killing curse, Michael?" he taunted. "Is that the level you've stooped to? What would your family think? Oh, wait, I forgot. You can't ask them, can you? You haven't seen them since you escaped. But don't worry, I have."

Forgoing everything he had been taught about magical combat, Gladstone charged at Newton.

The older man was taken by surprise as he was gripped by the throat and slammed up against the nearest wall.

Gripping the stout man's throat tightly, Gladstone whispered in his ear. "Don't you ever talk about my family you son of a bitch."

With that, he smashed Newton's head into the stone wall with a sickening crack. He let the man slide to the ground unconscious.

Gladstone towered over the lifeless form of the Secretary of Magic. "Your time's up," he said.

He pointed his wand at the fallen man and fired another killing curse. Richard Newton died instantly.

Putting away his wand, Gladstone knelt down and rolled up Newton's sleeve, exposing the Dark Mark on his forearm. He studied it closely, taking in every detail, as he wanted to be able to use his memories later to prove Newton's guilt.

"They've broken through!" a voice shouted, yanking Gladstone's attention away from the fallen Death Eater. He jerked around to see Dumbledore rushing towards him.

"Mr. Gladstone," the Headmaster said hurriedly, "move your people back!"

"Why? What happened?"

"The Death Eaters have breached our line, we must fall back to the library!"

Gladstone nodded and turned to shepherd his people out of the area.

"Rollins, Hayden, get out of here! Come on!" he urged, fighting his way towards the front. Every time he encountered one of the Americans who had come with him, he ordered them to retreat. He passed by Harry and Hermione, who were also covering the retreat, fighting side by side.

Just as he pushed through the last of the retreating defenders, Gladstone's eyes fell on his protégé, Andrew Collins.

"Collins, let's go!" Gladstone shouted.

The hazel-haired youth turned to his mentor. Just as he did so, he was struck with a stray killing curse from an unknown source.

"No!" Gladstone cried, rushing over to the younger man. He knelt down an cradled the fallen man's head in his hands.

"Aw…did the little boy die?" a sinister voice said above him. Gladstone looked up into an unfamiliar face. It was Antonin Dolohov. "My apologies. My aim has been somewhat…off today. A real pity."

Gladstone gritted his teeth and clenched his wand in his hand. "You bastard," he muttered, standing up slowly. "Avada Kedavra!"

Dolohov leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the curse. A chunk of wall exploded form the impact behind him. He responded with a blasting curse of his own. Gladstone avoided the shot.

Gladstone was so focused on his enemy that he didn't sense another Death Eater approach him from behind.

Suddenly, he felt the feeling of a thousand hot knives slicing into his back. His mind only barely registered the word "Sectumsempra" coming from behind him.

Gladstone fell to his knees, dropping his wand to the ground. He looked up in pain, into the bloodthirsty eyes of Dolohov. The Death Eater aimed his wand at the American, who was completely at his mercy. The last thing Gladstone saw before he the darkness consumed him was a flash of green.

Hermione was fighting next to her husband of nearly two years, dodging Death Eater curses as she fired back with her own. They, along with the rest of the Order and most of the staff, were busy covering the retreat of the students to the library.

She had just ducked another killing curse and brought her head back up when she saw Michael Gladstone collapse to his knees not far from her. Seeing that Harry was completely capable of handling things on his own, she rushed over to the fallen American.

Just as she arrived, she saw a very familiar figure step between her and her destination. Dolohov.

Hermione's vision flashed red with rage as she saw him. He must have been one of the ones who had been broken out of Azkaban with the others.

She didn't even give him the time to turn around this time. Without a second thought, she fired a killing curse at him, and watched him crumple to the ground with satisfaction. He was finally dead. It had taken three encounters, one in her previous life, and another in the graveyard in their third year, but she had finally done it.

Just as Dolohov's lifeless body fell to the ground, Hermione was able to see Gladstone just ahead. Whereas he had been propped up on his knees before, she watched as he too collapsed to the ground.

"Harry!" she called, rushing over to Gladstone as she did so. Harry was at her side in an instant.

"What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure," she replied. But then she saw the American's back. It was covered in red slashes that were still gushing with blood. It was easy to see that Gladstone had quickly succumbed to blood loss. "We have to get him to Madame Pomfrey," she suggested.

"Grandpa said that he told them to evacuate. She and Grandma were supposed to get everyone out of the library and out of here."

"Then we've got to get him out of here too," she said. "He won't last much longer if we don't."

Harry nodded and tried his best to close the wounds as an attempt to keep Gladstone alive a little longer. He then levitated the man and the two quickly followed the others towards the library.

They met up with Dumbledore and the others just outside the library. As soon as the Headmaster saw the wounded American, he understood.

"Take him to the statue near the Defense classroom down the corridor from the Defense classroom," he said. "Madame Pomfrey should be on the other side with Minerva, waiting."

Harry nodded, but passed the task off to Hermione. "Mione, can you do this? I'd feel better anyway knowing you were as far away from here as possible."

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Now don't you pull that on me, Harry Potter!" she huffed. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself!"

Harry chuckled lightly to himself. "I know, I know. But…um…" he was at a loss for an excuse.

"Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore interrupted, "while I do believe you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, I suggest that you take Mr. Gladstone to Madame Pomfrey immediately. He hasn't much time as it is. Harry and I will join you as soon as possible."

Hermione shot a glare at both Harry and Dumbledore. Both instantly felt much smaller. But she turned and took over the levitation of Gladstone before taking him down the corridor.

It took Hermione several minutes to make it up to the third floor. With a whisper of the password, the statue slid aside, granting Hermione access to the secret passage to Hogsmeade. She gave one last look back down the corridor of the battle-scarred school, before disappearing.

"Well that could have gone better," Harry joked.

Dumbledore gave Harry a half-hearted smile, but Sirius interrupted it.

"Albus, we cannot hold out much longer. Their numbers are too great, and our losses too many. We must consider withdrawing."

"No!" Harry objected. "We can't give in. It's too important that we drive them back!"

Dumbledore closed his eyes and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyelids thoughtfully. "Mr. Black may have a point, Harry. There is little hope of us driving them back at this point. We may have a greater chance by withdrawing and regrouping for a later attack."

"But the Chamber-"

"Is well protected, Harry. We put in place several layers of protections, have you forgotten?

"No…" Harry mumbled.

"Then there is little to be lost by retreating, and little to be gained by incurring further losses."

Harry had to admit that there was some logic in Dumbledore's reasoning. If they retreated now, they could come back stronger later, maybe even with the help of the goblins, who they had been unable to contact.

Just then, Draco limped up to them, followed by the rest of the Order and staff. "They're coming," he gasped, brushing a sweat-drenched lock from his eyes. "They'll be here any minute."

Nodding, Harry looked at Dumbledore pensively. "Alright," he said finally. "But I'm staying here to cover the evacuation."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Harry," Dumbledore replied. He put his wand to his throat again for the sonorous charm. "May I have your attention, please. We are evacuating Hogwarts. Please make your way to the statue near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Make haste, as the Death Eaters are on their way." He pulled his wand away from his throat, ending the charm.

There was a rush of feet as the ensemble of students made their way towards the statue of the humpbacked witch on the third floor. However, Remus in his werewolf form, Sirius, Dan, Emma, and Draco stayed behind with Harry and Dumbledore.

"You guys need to go too," Harry insisted. "We'll hold them off long enough for you to get away. Once you get to Hogsmeade, have everyone apparate or portkey to Potter Manor. They should be pretty safe there."

Sirius shot Harry a skeptical look. "We're not going anywhere without you two," he said defiantly.

"Just go, Padfoot," Harry argued. "We'll all get out of here sooner or later. We just have to cover for you. We'll be right behind you after a few minutes once we're sure that the castle is empty."

Sirius sighed, but complied. Once he turned to leave, the others followed suit, apparently with the same grudging acceptance as Sirius.

After a moment, Harry and Dumbledore were alone in the corridor.

Just then, a curse flew over Harry's head. He just barely had time to duck it.

"Well, here we go," he muttered.

Hermione emerged on the other side of the passage to Hogsmeade, only to find herself greeted by Minerva and Madame Pomfrey. As soon as the nurse caught sight of Gladstone's floating body, she rushed over and promptly took over the levitation. Hermione, grateful that he was now in capable hands, sat down on a crate in the basement of Honeydukes. The sun was just beginning to peek through the small windows at the top of the walls. Dawn had arrived.

"What happened, dear?" Minerva asked, putting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Harry and…your husband," she added with a slight sneer, "forced me to come back here. I don't know why though, I can handle myself."

Minerva laughed at Hermione's tone when talking about Albus. She quieted down quickly under Hermione's glare. Minerva was unused to being glared _at_, and relented quickly. "Don't worry, Hermione, I'm sure they meant it in the best way possible."

"But that's not what I'm worried about! Now I don't know what's going on back there!"

The passage opened again, and this time, a horde of students and adults poured through into the basement. Hermione searched through all of them as they passed, hoping to catch some glimpse of Harry. But she was to be sorely disappointed. Apparently, that showed on her face.

"Don't look so happy to see me next time," Draco said lightly.

"Sorry," she replied. "I was just hoping for Harry."

"He and the Headmaster stayed behind to cover our escape. They figured that we couldn't hold the school anymore, and it was time to evacuate."

"You mean they're back there, _alone_?" she exclaimed, panicking. Draco nodded slowly. She bolted up frantically.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" Draco asked. He grabbed Hermione's arm to stop her from rushing back through the passage.

"I have to go back there. You know full well they don't stand a chance alone against that many Death Eaters!"

"They said they would be here as soon as they could. I don't think they would take any foolish risks, Hermione. That's just not in their nature."

Hermione glared at Draco, causing him to rethink what he had just said. "Alright, maybe it is in Harry's nature, but not Dumbledore's. With him there, they'll be fine."

Despite how true Draco's words were, they did little to quell the uneasiness in Hermione's stomach. "That doesn't make me feel any better. I need to go back there. Now please, just let me go Draco." He relented and released her arm. She looked at him with a look of silent gratitude before reopening the passage and rushing through.

Harry shielded himself from another Death Eater curse before retaliating with one of his own. He and Dumbledore had been quickly pushed away from the library, where the Death Eaters had split into two groups. One had continued down the corridor, along a path that would eventually take them to the second floor girls lavatory. The other pursued Harry and the Headmaster. Those two had strategically retreated so that they were now quite near the statue of the humpback witch.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw a beam of light race towards him. On reflex, he jumped out of the way, landing on the ground on his side.

"Avada Kedavra!" he shouted at the offending Death Eater. His aim was true, and yet another nameless henchman of Voldemort fell.

"They're starting to get behind us," Harry said to Dumbledore. The corridor was so wide that several Death Eaters were beginning to work their way behind the pair. Soon they would be completely encircled.

Dumbledore paused after winning his duel, panting slightly. He took a brief look around them to confirm what Harry had just said. Oddly, the Death Eaters had paused their attack as well.

"Harry, I think it's time that you leave too," he said solemnly, taking advantage of the lull.

Harry's eyes went wide. "You can't be serious! I'm not leaving you here!"

"That is exactly what you must do, Harry. My life is less important than yours. You must leave. Now."

But Harry's wasn't going to let it go at that. He took one step forward, to close the gap of several feet between the two, when a magical barrier sprang up between him and Dumbledore. It was the same barrier he had used against Hermione and Dumbledore when faced with the Hydra.

"Grandpa! Drop the barrier now!" Harry yelled.

But Dumbledore did not respond. Instead, he focused his attention on the oncoming horde.

_What the hell is he doing?_ Harry thought. _He doesn't stand a chance against all of them. It's almost like he's just giving up. _

Harry shook his head to clear it, only to find that the barrier was slowly moving towards him, pushing him closer and closer to the statue.

"Harry," Dumbledore said, "this is not a request. You must leave before it is too late. You must retreat now, and return in the future. Hogwarts will need you more than you can possibly know."

"I won't you leave you here to die!"

Instead of replying, Dumbledore turned to face the horde of Death Eaters. Through the haze of the barrier, Harry could see a shuffle in the back of the crowd. A moment later, a lone figure emerged.

Voldemort.

"Harry Potter," he hissed. "You continue to be a perpetual thorn in my side."

"Harry, you must leave now," Dumbledore whispered over his shoulder. He drew himself up to his full height and readied his wand. "Tom," he continued in a louder voice, "this attack was foolhardy. There is nothing for you to gain here."

Harry stepped back slightly. Behind him, he could hear the slight scraping sound of the statue of the humpback witch opening. He glanced back to Dumbledore, whose empty left hand returned to its resting place at his side. Apparently he had opened the statue wandlessly and without the password.

"How blind you are, old man," Voldemort continued. "I know what secrets lurk in the shadows beneath this castle. I know what promise they hold." He withdrew his wand and held it lightly, ready for an attack.

Seeing this, Harry stepped forward again, ready to fight despite the barrier.

However, as he stepped forward, an invisible force struck Harry in the chest. Harry flew backwards into the passageway to Hogsmeade.

The last thing Harry saw was Dumbledore's hand returning to his side, just before a green jet of light met a red one in midair. The statue returned to its resting place, shrouding Harry in darkness.

Silently lighting his wand so he could see better, Harry forged on, slowly walking the distance between Hogwarts and Honeydukes. The silence and solitude gave him time to think over what had just happened.

_What the hell was that? How could he just shove me out of there and leave himself to die? _A tiny voice inside Harry's head said.

_He was saving you. He's told you time and time again how important you are. Maybe he thought he was more expendable than you are?_ Another voice answered.

_But we would have stood a better chance together! Especially with Voldemort there!_

_Even then you couldn't have won, _the more sensible voice countered. _He told you that this might be the end for him. If you couldn't have won, then what other option would there have been. Maybe he knew that a long time ago too. Maybe that's why he's been letting you make the mistakes in this war, letting you lead the fight._

_Maybe,_ he replied to himself. _Wait, am I talking to myself? Ron was right when he said that it's a bad sign when you start to hear voices. Now I'm hearing my own._

As he was arguing with himself, Harry wasn't paying attention to where he was going. His train of thought was interrupted as he ran headfirst into another body. Both fell to the ground in a heap.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, finally taking stock of the situation as he stood. "What're you doing here? You were supposed to stay in Hogsmeade!"

"And leave you two to die? Not bloody likely," she argued, dusting herself off. "Where's Albus anyway?"

"He's too damned noble for his own good. He just _had_ to stay behind and 'cover' my retreat."

"Then we've got to go back and get him! We can't leave him there!"

Harry shook his head sadly. He had already been over this once. "Trust me, I've tried already. He put up a barrier that I can't get past. The only way it'll fall is if he takes it down on his own or dies."

Suddenly, Harry felt his legs give way beneath him. He collapsed to the ground, his vision swimming. It was as if a great weight had settled upon his shoulders. He looked up to see Hermione's concerned face hovering over him.

"Harry…" she said. But her voice only seemed to be an echo in his mind.

"Harry…what's…wrong…?" he heard.

But he couldn't answer. His hand opened uncontrollably, and his wand rolled from his fingers. The tunnel was engulfed in darkness instantly.

A moment later, Hermione's wand lit up the darkness. Despite his glasses, Harry's vision blurred, until he could only see the fuzzy outline of Hermione's face, surrounded by an orange glow. That was the last sight Harry saw before he succumbed to blackness.

End of Chapter 27

A/N: Please, don't flame me for what just happened. There will be some more explanation in the next chapter, trust me. But anyway, thanks again for reading, and I will hopefully see you again soon!


	28. I Have Fought the Good Fight

Author's Note: Wow, time really flies, doesn't it? It doesn't seem like its been as long as it has since I last updated, and I apologize for that. To be completely honest, I had _almost_ given up on this story, but when going back through the archives, I found it again, and read some reviews. Specifically, the most recent reviews from HopelessRomanticist made me reconsider, and had me postpone my ideas for a new story. So I present to you Chapter 28, which is the last chapter I had written and completed before my hiatus, and was written nearly a year ago (wow!). From here on out, it will be new material (which isn't that much, really, since the planned end of this story is coming up soon). I now hope to have this done before I start my next story which should be a much lighter, more fun affair. So once again, please read and review!

Chapter 28

**I Have Fought the Good Fight**

Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw whiteness. The first thought that crept into his mind was that he was once again going to be having another conversation with God. However, his eyes adjusted, and instead of continuing to see only white, Harry saw sunlight streaming through a window. His window. The window in his room at Potter Manor. Upon further inspection, he found himself lying in his and Hermione's bed.

He tried to sit up, only to find that it was a more difficult undertaking than he had expected. His entire body ached, his arms and legs stiff. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to sit up. So he gave up. With a sigh, he resigned himself to lay in bed helplessly.

_What happened?_ he thought. _The last thing I remember was the passage from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade. I just felt heavy all of a sudden, like a huge weight was dropped on me._

As Harry thought, he became aware of something different, something off in his mind. It was almost as if there was another presence there, buried underneath his own. Harry tried to reach out to it, but it was out of reach. He couldn't touch it. All he could do was feel it subconsciously.

Finding that he couldn't figure out what had happened, Harry rolled over and surveyed the rest of the room. The first thing he noticed was that the perch in the corner was occupied by a familiar snowy white owl.

"Hey girl," he said affectionately, "how'd you get here? You were at Hogwarts last I remember."

Hedwig ruffled her feathers, offended.

"Sorry," Harry offered, "I know you're smart. I just didn't know you got out is all."

Just then, the door to the room opened. It took a great deal of effort, but Harry rolled over onto his other side to face the door.

"Oh, Harry! You're awake!" Hermione squealed, rushing over to him. She leaned onto the side of the bed and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I was so worried!"

"Isn't that what I'm best at? Making people worry?" Harry joked. Hermione slapped him playfully, which elicited a painful moan from Harry. Immediately, Hermione's hand shot to her mouth.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!" she said quickly. "I completely forgot-"

"No, it's alright," he said, still wincing slightly. "Just still a little sore and stiff is all. What happened, anyway?"

Hermione sat down on the bed next to Harry, and helped him so that he was sitting up against the headboard as well. She also took one of the extra pillows and put it behind his back for cushioning. She then snuggled up against his chest and sighed deeply.

"You collapsed in the passage from Hogwarts to Honeydukes," she said.

"I remember that," Harry replied softly.

"I had no idea what was happening. I thought you might have been cursed or something after I had left, and you were only then just starting to show the symptoms. But later we found out that that wasn't it. Anyway, I brought you the rest of the way through the passage, and we apparated back here. Minerva's here, as well as Sirius, Remus, and a bunch of the others. The students from magical backgrounds went home, since their houses would be protected, but we've actually got a lot of the muggle-borns living here in some of the unused rooms."

"How long was I out?" Harry asked softly.

"It's been four days, Harry," she answered. "And we haven't been sure exactly what happened to you. Madame Pomfrey said that we had to wait until you came out of it normally, as she didn't want to risk waking you if she didn't know what was wrong. Everyone's been waiting, Minerva the most. I'm not sure why though."

"What did you tell her about Grandpa?"

"Just what you told me. I figured that why she's anxious, but she hasn't been all too depressed. I think she still holds out hope that he's alive."

Harry stared wistfully into the distance, thinking about how terrible it must be for Minerva to constantly be worrying about Albus's safety. She didn't really know what the situation was like when he left, she didn't know what kind of odds he was up against. And while Harry didn't have any firm proof, he feared the worst.

The two sat like that in silence for several minutes before Harry once again found himself falling victim to the warm embraces of sleep. Hermione was still cuddled up against his chest, which didn't help him any, as she was acting as a human blanket. With a content smile dancing on his face, Harry once again fell asleep, this time out of pure and natural exhaustion.

It was nearly dusk before Harry awoke. Hermione was still curled up against him, so he gently woke her up with whispers in her ear.

"Hey," she said, yawning. "Feeling any better?"

"Well, as much as I try, I can't move. It's like there's this weight pinning me down at my chest, and it doesn't seem like it'll get up any time soon," he replied with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat up. "Prat."

"That's better," he said. "And I was being completely serious. I feel much better now, for some reason. Before, I couldn't really move. Now I think I can…"

As if to test his theory, Harry brought his arms up and stretched them. Unlike before, when he couldn't even lift them due to the soreness, he found the pain almost non-existent. It still lingered slightly, but it was much improved from a few hours before.

"Like I said, much better."

Hermione stood up and moved to smooth out her shirt. "Good. Then you can come downstairs with me. Everyone's still probably wanting to see you."

"Aw…do I have to Mione?" Harry pleaded, doing his best impression of a puppy.

"You know that never works on me," she said.

"Liar. You know it works all the time. If I remember, I did that when I proposed, didn't I? That's what really convinced you to marry me."

"Believe whatever you want," she said, before turning and walking towards the door.

Not wanting to let her get away, Harry rolled over and got out of bed, tentatively taking a few steps to test out his legs. Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned around when she heard him get up. She looked at him expectantly, half expecting that he would fall over on his face. Unfortunately for her, she was out of luck.

She waited for him to slowly make his way over to the door. With each step, his pace increased slightly, as his legs awoke and the natural tingling subsided. It took him a short while, but eventually he made his way to the door. Hermione offered him her arm for support, but he refused, saying something about manliness and wanting to do it on his own. Hermione expected some form of a chest thump, but once again she was sorely disappointed.

The two made their way down the stairs to the first floor, and entered the comfortable living room. The two couches and two recliners were arranged in a U-shape, with the opening facing the fireplace. Several conversations were in progress between the occupants, but silence immediately descended upon the room as the two Potters entered.

"Am I that sad of a sight that everyone needs to stare at me when I enter a room?" Harry joked, trying to ease the tension.

He sat down at the end of one of the couches, with Hermione right next to him. Sirius and Remus were also sitting on the same couch, with Draco, Dan, Emma, and Minerva on the one across from them. Elizabeth was also in the room, sitting in one of the two large recliners. The other was occupied by Neville.

"I thought you said that the students from magical families had gone home?" Harry whispered to Hermione. She didn't respond verbally, but instead gave him a slight kick to the shin. He winced painfully as she did so, immediately getting her message.

"So…Harry, how are you feeling?" Dan asked, breaking the ice. "Took quite the fall the other day, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah, I guess I did. I'm not sure what happened though."

The silence was awkward for all parties, as everyone fidgeted noticeably. None of them wanted to broach the subject of what had happened at Hogwarts after they had left. None of them wanted to bring up Dumbledore in the presence of Minerva.

However, they were all spared having to do so as Minerva spoke up.

"Harry, by any chance have you noticed anything…different about yourself since you woke up? Anything feel a bit off?" she asked, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes were trained on his anxiously, her attention focused on his every breath. It was quite uncomfortable for the young man.

"Well…now that you mention it…" he said, pausing for effect. But he soon realized how mean and callous that was. "It's like there's something else in my mind. Something I can't identify yet. Almost like another presence. I don't know what it is, but I do know that it isn't evil. This isn't like the times where I've been possessed or had my mind invaded by Voldemort. This is different."

Minerva closed her eyes and sighed. Leaning back, she hung her head low and was silent.

"Then it is as I feared," she said softly.

Harry could have sworn he saw tears begin to fall from her clenched eyes. His gut churned as he realized what she must be going through. He had a vague idea, remembering back to when he didn't know if Hermione had survived the attack at the Death Eater concentration camp. But what he was seeing now was something completely different. Harry didn't know for sure what had happened to Dumbledore, but he now knew that Minerva feared the worst.

Emma reached over and wrapped her arms around the silently crying older woman.

"Shhh…it's okay. Let it out," she whispered. But instead of doing just that, Minerva raised her head. She dabbed her eyes softly with a handkerchief she produced from her robe before putting it away.

"Albus is dead," she announced quietly, stunning all in the room, except for Harry. He had a feeling it would happen, especially after seeing what he had. But he wondered how Minerva knew for sure.

"How can you be sure?" Dan asked, stealing Harry's question.

"The fact that Harry feels another presence in his mind tells me that Albus has passed on," she replied.

Harry was confused. "How does that have anything to do with whether or not Grandpa is dead?" he asked. "I don't get how having another presence in my mind has to do with the. Unless…is it him? Is Grandpa in my head now?" Harry shuddered at the thought. Not that he didn't like the man, it's just that he didn't want him poking around in his mind.

Minerva smiled slightly at Harry's reaction. "No, Harry, that is not the case. Albus is not in your head. He is not the presence you feel. However, when Albus died, I believe that the presence was transferred from his mind to yours."

That didn't help clear things up for Harry at all. Now he was as confused as ever. "You're not helping anything with your riddles," he said. "Can't you just tell me what exactly is going on? Am I going crazy?"

"Not any more than usual, Harry," Minerva said with a small grin. A few light chuckles were heard around the room, as Harry stared at her, wide-eyed. Had she just made a joke at a time like this?

"But to answer your question," she continued, "As Headmaster, Albus was graced with the spirit of Hogwarts at all times. Undoubtedly he told you about the connection between the school and the Headmaster. That connection was not simply intuition, but a tangible mental link between the Headmaster and Hogwarts. He described the sensation to me many times, saying that it took the form of another presence in the back of his mind. A powerful, benevolent presence that simply _existed_. It did not try to push into his conscious mind, nor invade it in any way unless absolutely necessary. But at all times he could feel the presence of the school in his mind, and could eventually communicate with her as well."

"So you're saying that Hogwarts is somehow in my mind now?" Harry asked. "Why me of all people? What does it mean?"

Minerva raised a single hand to silence Harry. "Please, Harry, allow me to finish. I will answer whatever questions I can at the end of my explanation. Now, from what Albus told me, this phenomenon was not unique to him. Every Headmaster since the founding of Hogwarts had experienced it. Apparently, from what he said, the four founders imbued the castle with parts of themselves when it was built. They poured their magic and essences into the school, which is why it has endured for over a millennium. However, by instilling parts of themselves in the castle, the founders also gave rise to a form of sentience that permeates the school. This has allowed Hogwarts to communicate with each Headmaster over the years.

However, when power at Hogwarts changes hands, such as when one Headmaster retires, the school recognizes the new Headmaster by moving its presence from the old to the new. This happens no matter if the old Headmaster retires or passes away. But how does the school know who the new Headmaster is? There are two ways."

"Being selected by the Board of Governors," Hermione interrupted. "And I don't know about the other one. Hogwarts: A History only mentions the Board of Governors choosing each Headmaster."

Minerva nodded. "That is because that is the most common method of choosing the new Headmaster. However, there is another way. And I can't believe Albus actually did it. The old codger actually did it, I can't believe it."

"What? What did he do?" Harry asked earnestly. He was leaning forward slightly, enraptured by the tale that Minerva was telling. While normally he couldn't care less about the history and workings of Hogwarts, this time it directly related to him, so he couldn't be more interested.

"He chose the new Headmaster," Minerva replied. "In a sense. The Board of Governors is actually the second method of selecting a new Headmaster, and is only used when the first method was not used. However, that became more and more common as time passed. Eventually, very few sitting Headmasters identified their successor to the school. I believe part of it is due to the uncertainty of life, that the successor could pass away before the Headmaster. However, it appears that Albus did not feel this way."

Harry looked over at Hermione, who's eyes narrowed. It appeared as though she was one step ahead of him in understanding what it was that Minerva was talking about. "How exactly does a Headmaster identify their successor?" she asked lowly, as if she already knew the answer.

"A sample of both the blood of the sitting Headmaster, as well as the successor, must be submitted to the school. It must be done in a place where the Headmaster can have direct physical contact with Hogwarts, so in many cases it is done through the ward stone. The blood of the current Headmaster is required to confirm the selection as genuine, while the blood of the successor is used to identify them for certain. When both are combined on the ward stone, it is a sort of blood pact. The waiting Headmaster is now tied into the school wards, meaning that it is only a matter of time before he or she takes over, as far as the school is concerned."

She paused and looked at Harry, whose eyes were wide as he considered the implications of what he had just been told. He didn't say anything, and sat completely still, digesting the information. It was all Hermione could do not to wave her hand in front of his face. Instead, she spoke for him.

"So you're saying that when Albus and Harry erected the blood wards, he also identified Harry as the next Headmaster? And that now the school has recognized that? Did Albus know what he was doing when they put up the blood wards?"

"Excellent deductive skills, Mrs. Potter," Minerva said somberly. "Alas, I wish that the circumstances did not lead to this situation, but they have. To answer your questions, I do believe that Hogwarts has identified Harry as the new Headmaster, and that Albus knew exactly what he was doing when he erected the blood wards. He rarely did anything without thinking or knowing the consequences."

With that last comment, Minerva stared off into space, seemingly remembering the now-late Albus Dumbledore. Silence reigned for several minutes as a result, only broken when Minerva rose and excused herself from the room. Nobody objected, as they could all understand what she was feeling.

"So what happens now?" Draco asked once she had left.

Harry was also once again staring off into the distance, not really hearing what was being said. It took a sharp jab from Hermione to shake him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" he asked, looking around quickly.

"I asked what happens now," Draco repeated, rolling his eyes.

Harry closed his eyes before speaking. "I don't know, but I need to think about this for a while. Actually, I'm gonna go back upstairs and go to bed. I need to think about this."

With that, he rose and bade everyone else goodnight, before retiring to the master suite. He was not seen again that night.

The next morning, Harry rolled over only to find an empty, cold depression in his bed. He opened his eyes to find that, surprisingly, Hermione was not there. Normally they awoke at roughly the same time. Yawning, Harry got out of bed to find that he was much more nimble than the day before, and for the most part felt no different that normal. That was a good sign, he thought.

He tromped downstairs, his nose guiding him towards the heavenly aroma coming from the kitchen. When he turned the last corner, he found a sight he wasn't accustomed to.

Hermione was busy running around the kitchen, in an apron no less, preparing breakfast. Harry could see eggs and bacon cooking, as well as toast in the toaster that Hermione had charmed to work in the magical house. It was not the only traditionally muggle part of the kitchen. In fact, the entire room was made out to be a fully functional muggle kitchen. Walking into the room, Harry could also smell, but not see, hash browns cooking as well.

Silently, Harry walked up behind Hermione as she stood in front of the stove and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Morning," he said softly, kissing her neck.

She paused her motion of scrambling eggs to sigh deeply at Harry's touch. "Hey," she replied.

"What're you doing up so early?" Harry asked, releasing her and sitting down on a barstool on the other side of the large island in the middle of the room.

"Cooking breakfast," Hermione answered. "Or at least trying to. I've never been much good at this."

"Yeah, I can see that," he responded sarcastically. "But why now? You've never been one for cooking breakfast, or anything else for that matter. I thought that was my job."

She silently considered what he had said. For a moment, the only sound was the sizzling of bacon.

"Well, I thought you had enough on your mind, what with what Minerva said last night. So I thought that it would be better if I didn't add anything else to your plate. You know, make things easier on you." Her reply carried an unsure tone, a detail that was not lost on Harry.

He rose from his seat and stood next to her. "Smells wonderful, Mione. You've done a great job."

She turned and looked up slightly at him, making eye contact. Harry could feel her gaze boring into his skull, as she measured his words. Finally, she spoke. "You haven't even tasted it yet. How do you know I've done a great job?"

Harry smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Because I know you. And there isn't anything you don't do a great job at. Go on. I dare you to try and think of something."

She tried desperately to prove him wrong. She racked her brain, trying to find something to show that she wasn't perfect. "What about flying? I'm not good at that."

"Yes you are. At least now you are. But before you didn't ever want to try, so it's not really a valid answer."

"I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut. I'm a big-mouthed know-it-all."

Harry shook his head. "No, you're smart. You like to read, and you get excited to tell people what you're learned and share what you know. There's nothing wrong with that. You couldn't begin to count the number of times it's helped me out."

"But what about…" But she was cut off by Harry's finger on her lips.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Don't try and think of something you aren't good at just to put yourself down." He removed his finger from her lips, allowing her to speak again.

"Then why did you dare me to find something I'm not good at?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Because I knew you wouldn't be able to find anything. I was just trying to prove a point, that whatever you put your mind to, you will do perfectly at. Hermione, you have the potential to be anything if you want to. You just need to learn to see that. I do." He could see a shimmering in her eyes, and he knew that he should change the subject before she began to cry. "Now, what do you need help with? I like to think I'm handy in the kitchen."

But she shook her head fervently. "No, no, this is my job today. I'm doing this so that you don't have to. So sit down before I hex you."

He did as she told him, because he knew full well that she would follow up on her threat. He returned to his seat in the barstool, and busied himself watching Hermione busy herself.

"So what do you think I should do about the whole Headmaster thing?" he asked her, as she turned her back to him again and returned to the pans on the stove.

"I don't know that there's anything you can do, Harry," she said. "From the sounds of it, Hogwarts itself has identified you as the Headmaster, whether you like it or not. The question now is, how can we use it to our benefit?"

"What do you mean?"

"Honestly, Harry, you can be so dense sometimes. Don't you remember that Voldemort took over Hogwarts? Can't you see how being in contact with the school could help us when it comes time to retake it?"

Harry had to admit that she had a point, even if he hadn't realized it immediately. He chocked it up to it still being early and his mind not being fully awake. _Yeah, that must be it,_ he thought, grinning to himself in satisfaction.

"What're you grinning about?" Hermione asked, her back still turned to him.

His eyes shot open in shock. She must really have eyes on the back of her head, like all women were rumored to. "Uh…well…Mione, how did you know…"

"Harry, did you really think that I didn't have eyes on the back of my head? How else do you think I can keep up on things so well? Don't you know that all women are born with a second set of eyes?"

His brow furrowed in thought, even as he remained slack-jawed. Hermione turned around to face him, and couldn't control her giggles. Her hand shot to her mouth to hide her giddiness.

"Like I said, Harry, you can be so dense sometimes. And gullible too. Did it ever occur to you that the hood over the stove was made of chrome? I could see you like a mirror. Everything you did, every face you made, I could see them all. I was just having you on."

Harry's mouth shut and his eyes narrowed as he glared at her. This look only caused her to giggle more. "You can be a real witch sometimes, you know that?" he said.

"Yeah, I know. But you love me for it," she replied.

"I love you _in spite_ of it," he countered, causing her eyes to widen for a split second, before she broke down into laughter again. Obviously, his comeback wasn't as good as her original joke.

"Fine, fine," he said, raising his hands in defeat, "you win. I guess I can't pull one over on you this morning. You're too awake for that. Anyway, back to what we were talking about. You really think I can use my connection with Hogwarts against the Death Eaters?"

"Does repeating what I say make you understand it more, Harry?" Hermione asked, a touch of genuine curiosity evident in her voice. To Harry, it sounded as though she was a primary school teacher talking to a five or six year old student with learning difficulties.

"Shut up," he said. _Oh, brilliant comeback, Potter,_ he chastised himself. _That was really original. Now she won't know what to say._

"But yes," she continued, "I do. Now, I don't know how deep this connection goes, and there really isn't anyone alive who knows how to use it to its full potential. I guess we'll just have to do some experimentation, won't we?"

Harry perked up at her last statement. "I like experimentation," he said eagerly. "Especially that time we-"

"Not that kind of experimentation, Harry," Hermione said sternly, a smile playing on her lips. She knew exactly what he was hinting at, but it was not something to be discussed now, in the kitchen, when her parents were due to wake up at any time.

"What other kind is there?" he asked, pressing his luck further.

"Ugh! Honestly Harry, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm talking about testing the connection, seeing what it can and can't do."

"I knew that," he said with a smile. "I was just seeing how far I could push you. Seeing how receptive you were to the idea that-"

"No. Don't. Say. Another. Word," she said slowly and dangerously. Harry broke into a fit of laughter at her tone.

"What's so funny?" a voice asked, coming from the hallway. Harry whirled around to see Dan standing in the doorway. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing!" Harry and Hermione said at the same time, both of them a bright shade of scarlet. "We were just…" Harry started, but couldn't finish.

"Reminiscing," Hermione finished. "You know, about the good old days. About our original years at Hogwarts, you know."

Dan looked at them suspiciously. "'The good old days?'" he asked. "Hermione, I've never heard you use that term. You're too young to use that term. Now, what were you two really talking about? It better not be something that-"

"Good morning," Emma said overly loudly from behind Dan. She sauntered into the kitchen and took a seat at the small kitchen table. Both Harry and Hermione were silently thankful for her intervention. "Mmmm…Hermione, that smells delicious. I didn't know you could cook like this."

"She can do anything she wants to," Harry said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from ever getting back to what Dan was wanting to know. "And she does great at whatever she tries."

"Good answer, Harry," Dan interjected, sitting down at the table next to his wife. Just as he did so, a small brown owl flew through the open kitchen window and deposited a copy of that morning's Daily Prophet. After paying the owl, Dan opened the paper and began to read silently.

"Anything interesting in there?" Harry asked. He hadn't really had a chance to catch up on what had happened in the few days he had been unconscious.

Dan shook his head. "Not much. Just the usual stuff. You know, more Death Eater attacks in Diagon Alley. Oh, and now Voldemort is requiring all citizens of magical Britain to register their blood status with the 'Committee on Pureblood Supremacy.'"

"The what?" Harry asked, confused.

"Oh, I completely forgot. You have no idea what's going on. The day after Hogwarts fell, Voldemort made an announcement from the atrium at the Ministry of Magic, declaring himself the supreme ruler of magical Britain. To prevent an uprising against him, he is enforcing this new authority with the Death Eaters and whatever other dark creatures he has at his disposal. Anyway, he announced the abolition of the Ministry of Magic, and the formation of the 'Committee on Pureblood Supremacy.' Sounds like someone's been taking a bit too much inspiration from Maximilien Robespierre. He has, in essence, begun his own Reign of Terror, using Hogwarts as his new executive base."

"All of that in only a few days? Wow, the bastard sure does move fast."

"That's not the half of it, Harry," Dan continued. "As his first order of business as the 'Grand Potentate,' which is what he calls himself now, he declared that all non-pureblood witches and wizards would be segregated from purebloods. They are now not allowed to walk on the same side of Diagon Alley as purebloods, and have separate facilities for everything. Now, he is requiring that all citizens carry an official document on their person denoting their blood status. Any pureblood is allowed to stop and ask any other person for their papers."

"And you conveniently forgot to mention this to me last night?" Harry asked. "Or this morning, for that matter," he added, facing Hermione."

"It doesn't matter," Dan interrupted. "What matters is that you know now. What's done is done. But now, what do we do about it?"

By that time, Hermione had finished preparing breakfast, and had brought several pans of steaming food over to the table, along with plates and utensils. Harry moved from his seat at the island to a vacant chair at the table. He filled a plate with eggs, toast, and bacon, before beginning to eat. For a moment, the only sound heard in the kitchen was that of clinking silverware and plates. But before long, the subject of Voldemort was again broached.

"So what do you think we should do, Harry?" Dan repeated.

"What do _I _think we should do? Why does it always come back to me?" There was a slightly playful tone to his voice, but unfortunately for Harry, Dan did not pick up on it.

"Because with Albus gone, you're pretty much the leader of the fight against Voldemort. Not only that, but you seem to have inherited his duties as Headmaster too."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "Hogwarts may think I'm the Headmaster, but I'm not up to it. I don't know the first thing about running a school. Sure, it'll come in handy now that Voldemort's in charge there, to know the inner workings of Hogwarts, but I'm not Headmaster material. At least not yet."

"That's bollocks and you know it, Harry," Hermione challenged. "You're pretty much more qualified than anyone else. Besides, Albus chose you himself. That has to count for something."

Harry conveniently ignored her last point to focus on her first. "More qualified than anyone else? Who exactly are you comparing me to, Hermione? Grandma would be much better at the job, come on, admit it. She knows what goes with the territory, what to expect. Hell, she was the only one who knew about the presence of Hogwarts in my head. She's the better choice."

"Whatever you say, Harry. Just remember that Hogwarts chose you. Albus chose you. There may be something larger at play here than you think."

Harry mulled over her words. She may be right. Harry had seen things over the past several years that defied explanation, culminating in several meetings with God Himself. So Harry could believe that there was a larger force at work, but he didn't want to admit it. Perhaps a part of him didn't want to admit that Dumbledore was gone, but as he dwelled on it, Harry realized that he was scared. He was afraid that he might fail at something, that he might not be good at it. Being a Professor at the age of a student was one thing, but being the Headmaster was something completely different.

But the more he thought about it, the more Harry realized that his fears may be baseless. He had just finished lecturing Hermione on success and failures, and not putting oneself down. Maybe, he thought, that's all he was doing. Maybe all he was doing was putting himself down.

"Maybe you're right," he mumbled, barely audible.

"I'm sorry, Harry, what was that?" Hermione asked, cracking a smile.

"I said that you might be right," he repeated.

"Of course I am. They don't call me the smartest witch of our time for nothing. But why the sudden change of heart?"

"I was just thinking about some things," he said vaguely. "They're not important, really."

Hermione nodded absently, as if she understood everything Harry meant. She returned to her meal, occasionally sipping from her cup. Very little else was said around the table that morning.

"Great Neville! That was really good!" Harry exclaimed, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek. He and Neville were in the basement of Potter Manor, in the room they had used for training with Snape, Moody, and Flitwick. In an effort to improve Neville's self-confidence, Harry had decided to train with him, one-on-one, using only their swords.

Neville blushed slightly as he let his sword fall to his side. "Thanks, Harry," he replied.

Just as Neville dropped his sword, Harry lunged at him. The young Longbottom boy had only a split second to react. But react he did.

With unexpected deftness, he evaded Harry's thrust, and drew his blade up to meet Harry's. Steel met steel with a clang.

"Not bad," Harry said, lowering his weapon. "But you shouldn't have let your guard down. Remember what Moody always says…"

"Constant vigilance," they finished together with a laugh.

The two sat down next to each other on a bench along one of the walls. Harry produced two bottles of water from a chilled box he had brought down, and they drank gratefully and silently.

As they sat, Harry pondered Neville's performance. In the intimate setting they were in, he seemed to have greater confidence than Harry had seen from him. However, he feared that once they left, once he had a greater audience, Neville wouldn't have the same confidence he did now. And that was what Harry found troubling, and that was what he was trying to alleviate.

"Harry," Neville began, "I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time. But…um, I don't really know how to put it. I don't want you to…well, be offended or anything."

Harry's head shot up at this, his interest certainly piqued. What could Neville want to ask him about that might offend him?

"Um, okay," Harry replied sheepishly, "go ahead I guess."

"I guess it's just that… How is it that Elizabeth is your daughter?"

"What?" Harry asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"No, no, I don't mean it like that. I just mean, why? She's only four years younger than you. It just seems a little strange is all."

Harry sighed. He knew this time would come, but not when. It had been a while since he had told anyone the truth about him and Hermione, and it was a good thing too. He was glad that he had never confided in 'Ron' or 'Ginny' about their true past. But could he trust Neville with that information? Especially after the betrayal of Ron, and to a lesser extent, Ginny? He thought for a moment about how he was going to handle the situation. Finally, he came up with a solution.

"Neville, do you trust me?" Harry asked mysteriously.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so."

"I need you to trust me now. Can you do that?" Neville nodded in response. Harry pulled out his wand. "Alright then. Legilimens."

A swarm of images came flooding towards Harry. He could see various moments from Neville's past, from a vague memory of being held by his parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, to a lonely childhood growing up with only his grandmother. He saw Neville losing his frog Trevor on the Hogwarts Express during his first year. _At least that didn't change,_ Harry thought. Everything he saw, Harry himself could remember. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, anything to indicate that he was not who he claimed to be. _But wasn't that the case with Ginny? She was under the Imperious curse. She couldn't remember that she was spying on us._ As much as Harry knew he should heed the warnings of the more sensible part of his brain, he gave into the other part, the more compassionate, understanding part.

Pulling out of Neville's thoughts, Harry gave himself a moment of rest to collect himself.

"I'm sorry I had to do that, Neville. But I had to be sure of something. Can't be too careful, what with what happened with Ron and Ginny."

Even though he was clearly shaken, Neville gave Harry an embarrassed smile. "It's alright, Harry. I'm sure that whatever you were going to say was really important. It's okay that I didn't measure up. If I don't need to know, I don't need to know?"

"What? What're you talking about?" Harry asked confused.

Neville lowered his head in shame. "Well, I just assumed that…oh, never mind."

"Neville, I did that to make sure you weren't hiding anything from me. It wasn't some test to see if you were worthy or anything like that. Anyway, come on."

With that, Harry stood, and grabbed a towel from the rack next to the bench. He dabbed his forehead a few times and hung it around his neck, before making his way towards the door out of the training room. Neville was close behind.

A minute later, they arrived in the master suite two stories up. As soon as they entered, Harry made his way to the large closet and began to rummage through it.

"Um, Harry, I don't really think it's my place to be in here…" Neville said, waiting outside.

"Nonsense, Neville," Harry's voice drifted out of the closet and into the bedroom proper. "And don't think you're in here for some inappropriate reason. It's just that I needed something up here that's a bit too big to take down to the basement. Ah! Here it is."

He emerged with a large stone basin, which he gently put on Hermione's desk in the corner of the room.

"Now, I knew that no matter what I said, you wouldn't believe me. So that's why we're gonna use the pensieve," Harry explained. "What I'm about to show you is the truth. It's a memory of when I was twenty years old. Don't ask. I'll explain everything afterwards."

With that cryptic comment, Harry put his wand to his temple and withdrew a silvery strand from his temple. One deft flick later, and the strand glittered in the basin. Harry glanced over at Neville and nodded, and the two dove into Harry's memory.

When they came to their senses, they found themselves on the grounds of Hogwarts, surrounded by the bodies of so many of their friends and colleagues. As Neville looked around, he almost vomited. The ground ran red with blood, and he recognized several of the bodies, including Minerva's and Hagrid's. However, he also caught sight of another. As he did so, his knees gave way, and he collapsed to the blood-soaked ground and threw up.

Harry came up behind him and put a comforting hand on Neville's shoulder. He shifted his gaze toward what had been so disturbing, and immediately he understood. Laying in the mud, eyes open, but clearly dead, was Neville Longbottom. Or at least the Neville of Harry's past life. Harry clenched his eyes and exhaled deeply, trying to distance himself from the memory. He tried to remind himself that this had happened years before, that it had almost no bearing on the present. But try as he might, he couldn't. He was _there_ again, he could see everything, hear everything, exactly as it had happened.

Shakily, Neville rose to his feet again, helped by Harry. Just as he stood, both his and Harry's attention was drawn away by a commotion nearby. They both whirled around to see Hermione Granger fall victim to a killing curse cast by her husband Ron Weasley.

Two thoughts immediately came to Harry's mind. First, he was, for some inexplicable reason, reminded of the fact that Hermione had never taken Ron's surname when they had married. He was finally struck with the significance of that. She never really felt like she belonged with him, that she had simply settled for him. However, a second thought tore his mind away from that line of thinking.

_Ron couldn't have been Lucius in this timeline, could he?_ he thought. _That would make sense. I mean, Ron was never really one to do something like this. He wouldn't have really betrayed me and tried to kill me, would he?_

But Harry's couldn't finish his thought, as his attention was again drawn away by the sound of Ron's voice.

"Stupid mudblood whore got in the way," the memory of Ron said with a apathetic shrug. Harry could feel the rage coursing through his veins once again, the same as he had when he had lived through this.

"Dammit Ron, she was your wife!" Harry's doppelganger shouted angrily, aiming his wand at the redhead.

"Yes, well I certainly played the part well, didn't I Potter? At least I got to enjoy her for a few years before she outlived her usefulness. Face it, you had everything I wanted, the fame, the glory, and I could see that you had your sights set on the girl too. I had to move to claim her before you did, and it just so happened that she fit in with the Dark Lord's plans perfectly. Pity she had to end up like this, but she was fun while she lasted."

Harry wanted to close his eyes, knowing what was to come. But he couldn't tear himself away. The hateful things that the memory of Ron had said had awakened Harry's ire once again, and he wanted to see the youngest Weasley male get his due again. He watched as his former self cast a Reductor curse at Ron's head. He waited for the latter's head to explode in a shower of gore, but was distracted as he once again heard a familiar snake-like voice coming from behind his counterpart.

"Avada Kedavra," it hissed.

Harry and Neville watched in silence as two curses streaked through the air. One flew away from the memory of Harry, the other towards him.

The Reductor curse impacted first, leaving only a stump where the head of Ron Weasley had once been. The other curse hit it's mark a second later. As soon as the killing curse hit, the memory turned to blackness.

"What happened?" Neville asked.

"I died," Harry replied simply. "There is no memory left."

The two withdrew from the pensieve and Harry withdrew the memory from the basin and replaced it in his head. But he then withdrew a second, longer tendril, and swirled it around in the dish before he announced that it was ready. Harry and Neville dove into the pensieve once again.

They regained their bearings, surrounded by a blinding whiteness. Neville wasn't sure what to make of his surroundings, or lack thereof, while Harry was nonchalant about the matter. He had seen and been in this place several times.

"Welcome to the afterlife Harry. You're dead." They head, and both of them turned around to see another memory of Harry, this time facing an image of Sirius.

"That's Professor Black!" Neville whispered excitedly. Harry simply nodded vacantly. He simply watched as the memory unfolded, as once hidden truths were revealed to his past self. He watched as every secret he held was laid bare before Neville.

As the manifestation of Sirius presented the Book of Design to his past self, Harry couldn't help the renewed sense of interest that bubbled up inside him. How he wanted to look within that book. How he wanted to know what it was that was buried within its pages. He longed to know what it now said about his life. Would he defeat Voldemort once and for all? What would the future of the world look like if he did? Harry lost all sense of time as he pondered these things, and was almost completely oblivious to the remainder of the memory as a result. However, he unconsciously sensed the end of the memory approaching, and finally returned his attention to it.

"I am going to send you back now Harry. Remember to keep a level head. I know that during this second chance at life, there will be times when you will need guidance. You need only look to the partner that I have set aside for you. She was chosen for a reason, for she has wisdom beyond her years. But if you are very lucky, I may drop in to say hello, from time to time. Good luck, and God bless," Sirius added with a grin.

A moment later, the memory once again faded to black, signaling its end. Harry and Neville pulled out of the pensieve, and for the second time, Harry placed a memory back in his mind. He then sat down on the foot of his bed and rested his head in his hands. Neville sat down beside him.

"Harry, that second memory was self-explanatory. But was that first one what I think it was?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"A past life. Another timeline. Whatever you want to call it, but yes."

"Merlin, Harry, now everything makes sense. And I don't just mean you having Elizabeth as a daughter. Which, by the way, is completely understandable now. But how old were you there?"

"Twenty," Harry replied vacantly.

"Then that would make you…almost twenty six now, right? Wow. No wonder Dumbledore let you teach Defense. You had more experience than any of us thought. And if you're twenty-six, it makes sense for you to have a daughter. Granted, she is still a bit too old for that age, but it makes more sense now."

"Yeah, I guess." He continued to stare off into space, not really paying attention to the conversation.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Neville asked concernedly.

"It's just that…" he trailed off. He didn't want to voice what he was thinking. He had just seen Hermione die again. Despite the fact that he consciously knew that it was a memory, it still took a heavy emotional toll on him. Seeing the battlefield once again, seeing Hermione fall to Ron's curse again, had only stirred up deep-seated anguish within him.

"It was seeing the first memory again, wasn't it?" Neville said softly. Harry perked up at his question. He didn't know that Neville could be so perceptive. But he nodded in confirmation.

"I know it must be hard for you to see her die again, not to mention yourself, Harry. But remember that it's in the past. Yes, it happened at one point. But it's behind you now. She's out there, you're together. It's something that's been completely undone now, and I don't think she'd want you grieving over something like that."

Harry didn't respond, and the two sat in awkward silence for a few moments before Neville spoke again.

"What would possess Ron to do something like that though?" he asked. "I mean, I understand what happened with him _now_, but why would he do it then?"

"That's what I've been asking myself," Harry said. "My mind keeps going back to the possibility that it was Lucius Malfoy using Polyjuice potion then too. It would make sense, considering the fact that Malfoy was still alive when that battle took place. But it really doesn't matter now. I'd have no way to prove it, and it wouldn't make any difference anyway. That's all done and gone now."

"But would it make you feel better to know? To know that you weren't as betrayed as you thought?"

"Yeah, I guess so. But like I said, there's no way to prove it. All we'd be doing is making guesses, with no evidence to back it up. It really doesn't matter anyway."

"So this whole thing about V-V-Voldemort," Neville swallowed audibly, "being a fallen angel, how does that figure into things? I mean, I haven't seen anything that would suggest that he is so far. It's almost like it hasn't really factored into events so far."

"Well, you're partly right, Neville. There is one other detail I haven't told you about yet, one that ties together Voldemort's background with current events, at least a little. You see, Hogwarts was not built as a school, so much as it was built as a castle to protect something. A thousand years ago, a great dark wizard found a way to open a portal to the underworld, or in our terms, hell, in an attempt to use demons for his bidding. A large number of them emerged from the portal, and we now call them Dementors. Anyway, an army led by the four greatest witches and wizards of the day managed to stop him and close the portal. Those four were Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor. The portal had been opened in a location that was one of the most magically rich areas in the world, so as a result, those four built a great castle upon those grounds to deter others who would reopen the portal. With the end of the war against the Dark Wizard, Thrayden, an era of peace was ushered in, and the castle was opened as a school to commemorate the peace. It was to be a place where witches and wizards could come to learn to control their magic and use it for the good of all mankind. I think you can guess the rest from there."

Neville appeared a bit lost, but nodded his head in understanding nonetheless. "But what does that have to do with Voldemort being a fallen angel?"

"From what Grandpa…er, Headmaster Dumbledore told me, or at least alluded to, the portal is a secret that is known only to the Headmasters of Hogwarts. It was not to be told to anyone else. However, somehow, a student by the name of Tom Riddle found out about it. I have a hunch he found out about it while he was an angel. I don't think there's any other way. So he planned to open it back up again and summon forth an army of darkness, in an attempt to, for lack of a better term, take over the world."

"And so we just let Hogwarts fall into Voldemort's hands? He's gonna get to the portal!" Neville objected.

Harry shook his head. "No he won't. At least he shouldn't. See, there are only two people alive who can get to the portal as it is. It was protected by a door with a password that must be spoken in parseltongue. Only Voldemort and myself can do so. But when we built the armory tower onto the school, we also put into place a couple other protective measures, such as three doors with rotating passwords, and surveillance charms to alert us if the doors are opened. There are, or were, only three people who knew the passwords. Now there are only two."

"Well that's good then. But why are you telling me this. If nobody but the Headmaster was supposed to know, and all of this is so secret, why me? I mean, I wouldn't even trust me with a secret, so why are you?"

"I just have a feeling about you, Neville. I don't want to dredge up unpleasant memories, but you saw my memory of your dead body. So suffice it to say that I know what you're like a few years from now. You're quite capable, great to be around, and for the most part, your confidence issues went away. I know what you're like, and I trust you. It's just that earlier I had to make sure that, well, you were you."

With that, Harry stood, and Neville watched him as he picked up the pensieve and replaced it in the closet where he had found it. He emerged a moment later.

"Come on, we'd better get back down there. Everyone else is probably wondering where we've gone off to. If anyone asks, we've been talking about Quidditch ever since we finished with our manly training session, alright?"

With a chuckle, Neville stood and followed Harry out of the room and back downstairs. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hermione was standing there, with her hands on her hips.

"You two have fun up there?" she asked. Taking this as his cue, Neville left the two alone in a hurry.

"Erm, we were just discussing some things," Harry said. But then he paused to reflect on his words. He didn't have any reason to be ashamed. He and Neville weren't doing anything wrong up there. So why was he at a loss for an answer? "We were just talking about our past. You know, our _real_ past. I thought it was time to bring him in on the secret."

Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Are you sure about that, Harry. I mean, he isn't really an important person who needs to know. And I mean that in the best way, not in a way to discount him. But did he really need to know?"

"I think so. I mean, he asked how we could make it work with Elizabeth as our daughter, when we appeared to be only a few years older. I guess that sorta opened the door to the whole thing. Don't worry though, I did a Legilimency test on him beforehand to make sure he was really him."

Hermione nodded in understanding, trusting Harry completely. She knew that he wouldn't divulge their secrets without good reason, and she trusted that he would only tell those whom he deemed worthy. And another part of her mind kept reminding her that he had spent time with Neville, in a private, respectful setting, something that she had been wanting for a while. She didn't want Harry to turn up his nose at Neville, or turn into her father should Neville show an interest in Elizabeth several years down the line.

In a darkened bedroom on the third floor of Potter Manor, a figure sat in silence. Minerva Dumbledore was not an openly emotional person, and had difficulty opening up to anyone at all. It had only been through years of working with and getting to know Albus Dumbledore that she grew to love him and confide in him. And now he was gone. She didn't know how to handle it in public, how to let herself go. So she had put up a brave front the day before after Harry had woken up. But now…now she felt alone.

A soft knock on her closed door startled her out of her grieving.

"Come in," she said shakily, trying to make herself seem presentable. The door creaked open and a thin sliver of light pierced the darkness for a moment before disappearing completely once again.

Minerva looked up from her seat on the edge of her bed to see a short figure walk into the room. She squinted to try and make out the figure, but to no avail. As a last resort, she took to guessing at their identity.

"Liz?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, Grandma, it's me," Elizabeth said, sitting down on the bed next to Minerva. "How're you doing?"

Minerva sniffed slightly. "I'm okay, dear."

"You don't sound like it. Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's not really much to talk about, Liz. I mean, there is nothing that we can do to change what has already passed."

"That's rubbish, Grandma, about not talking about it. What good is it doing you to sit cooped up in this room all day? I don't think he would want you to waste away simply out of grief. I mean, I only knew him for a short time, but he was fun to be around, and knew how to have a good time. He knew that life would still go on for all of us, even after he was gone…"

Minerva smiled weakly at Elizabeth in the darkness. Although she had only been part of her life for not even a year, she felt a great connection with the young girl. Although Minerva had no experience with it, it felt to her like what a mother-daughter relationship should feel like. And that dynamic had only strengthened in recent weeks, with heartfelt conversations between the two of them in the library at Hogwarts, and now at Potter Manor.

"…and I don't mean to say that there isn't a time for grieving, it has it's time. But it also has it's time to end as well. Trust me, I know what you feel like. Remember, I watched my foster parents die right before my eyes, brutally murdered. And yes, I cared for them. I had lived with them for four years by that point, and had grown to know them. So I know what you're going through, at least somewhat."

"I'm sorry, Liz. I've just always tried to keep my emotions in check in public. I was raised with the belief that you deal with personal issues in private, not in public. So as a result, I've maintained a cold, detached image for as long as possible. Yes, I know that I'm not the warmest professor, and that has been purposeful."

"But it doesn't have to be that way," Elizabeth objected. "We're your family. We're here to help out with this sort of thing. Just locking yourself in your room doesn't tell us that you want to stay professional, it tells us that you don't need us or want us around. Is that what you want?"

"No," Minerva replied, shaking her head. "That isn't what I was trying to convey at all. To be frank, as a result of not being an emotional person, I have difficulty doing it at all. I feel…weak. Actually, I feel exposed, like I'm not in control anymore. Does that make sense?"

"Oh, absolutely. But honestly, Grandma, you need to break out. You've been living in your own personal bubble for so long. You need to let us help."

Minerva considered the eleven year-old's words carefully. Maybe she was right. Maybe she did need to seek help from those she considered to be her family. She had been in that room without fail since she had found out for sure that Albus had died, and had not let anyone else comfort her. Minerva let out a snort as she realized that it was an eleven year old who had shown her the error of her ways, who had convinced her to try and break out of a habit she had held for decades.

"You're right, Liz, as before. Time and time again I find myself struck by how old you seem. You truly are wise beyond your years."

"Thanks, Grandma. But do you want to talk about it with me? I know you feel alone now, but I'm here, and I want to help."

"You're right, I do feel alone, even though I have you and everyone else here. But I'm talking about something else. Albus was…a big part of my life. Now that I know he's gone, it's like there's a hole there, one I don't know how to fill. Truth be told, I don't think that I want to try. He was that important to me."

"I don't know how he would feel about being replaced, but I do know that he would want you to keep living, like I said earlier. But going on with your life doesn't mean you have to replace him. All you have to do is keep him alive within you. Remember the times you had together. If you do that, he will never truly die."

Her eyes full of tears, Minerva turned to face Elizabeth and wrapped her in a hug. "Thank you for being there for me, Liz," she said sincerely. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Yeah, I think I do. Remember how I told you I lost my foster parents, well mum and dad were there for me when that happened. I didn't do well for a few days after that happened, but they were there to comfort me, to help me through it. And they did it even though they didn't really know Jonathan and Rhonda. So that's where I learned that, if I ever had the chance, I would do the same for someone else that they did for me."

Minerva didn't respond, and there was silence for several minutes as a result. For a while, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the large clock that adorned the wall opposite the bed. As the pendulum swung from left to right to left, Minerva used it as a metronome, losing herself in her memories. She remembered sneaking around with him, trying to hide their relationship from the others at Hogwarts, she remembered their double wedding with Harry and Hermione. Both of those things and even more memorable events had happened so recently, but Minerva willed her mind to go back, back to the first time she met Albus.

Just as she was about to lose herself in her memory, Minerva was yanked back into reality by Elizabeth.

"Everyone's down in the library now," she said. "They're having some kind of meeting on what to do next. I'm not sure how you feel about it, but they might want…" she trailed off, but her point was clear.

"Yeah…" Minerva replied absently, shaking her head to clear it. She rose from her seat on the bed and made her way towards the door, followed closely by Elizabeth.

"Where's Grandma?" Harry asked Emma as the door to the library closed for the last time. He had called a meeting of the various Order members present, as well as Minister Bones and members of her staff, in order to discuss what was to be done about retaking Hogwarts.

"I don't think she's coming," Emma replied, taking up position next to her husband. "And I can't say I blame her, really."

"Anyway," Harry began, louder so as to attract the attention of the others in the room, "I wanted to talk about how we're gonna take back Hogwarts. By now, unless you have been living under a rock or something, you know that Hogwarts is now under the control of Voldemort. So we need to figure out a way to get it back. Anybody have any ideas? I mean, I can't be the one to come up with this stuff all the time. But…I do have one idea."

"Then let's hear it!" Draco said loudly from the back. Hermione quickly shushed him.

"This is a library, you know," she huffed. "So keep it down."

"Oh, come off of it, Hermione. We're having a meeting. In a library. You can't expect us to be quiet, especially when we _own_ the library."

"But it's the principle of the matter!" Hermione argued.

"Ahem!" Harry interrupted. "Sorry to interrupt your little bickering session, but we've got things to cover. As for my idea, I was thinking that we could all walk up to the main gates of Hogwarts, one at a time, knock on them, and then ask Voldemort politely if he would give us back the castle. If that didn't work, I was thinking we could send him a strongly worded letter suggesting that he give it back. If he didn't, we would threaten to send an even more strongly worded letter. What do you think?"

"Honestly, that's your idea?" Draco rolled his eyes. "I was beginning to think that you had a little bit of a brain in that thick skull of yours, Harry. But I guess I was wrong."

Harry chuckled good-naturedly. "You think I was serious, don't you? Come on. Even I'm not stupid enough to think that would work. But as for my real idea, here goes. We still have the goblins on our side. We weren't able to contact them before during the battle, since the Americans cut off the floo network to Hogwarts, and owls could be tracked and shot down. But we could contact them from here. Wait. Speaking of the Americans, where's Mike? I keep forgetting to ask."

"He's fine now, and he went back to the States," Hermione answered.

"He went back _there_?" Harry asked, bewildered. "He's an escaped convict!"

"He said something about wanting to share his memory of the battle, of Newton. There was nothing I could do to stop him, Harry."

"Fine," he grumbled. "Now that that's out of the way, back to business. We could have the goblins help us attack the school again, and with their help, I think we could do it. Goblins are notorious for being fierce warriors. Is that a better idea?" He looked around the room, but nobody spoke. "Anybody?"

"It's not a bad idea, Mr. Potter," Minister Bones opined. "But I think you forget one thing: that we will not have the student body with us this time, as we did when defending the school. So by including the goblins, you are simply making up for losing the students. Even though the goblins are more valuable on the battlefield, I do not know if they will be enough."

"We could ask the Bricklepugs for help," a dreamy voice said from the back of the group.

"What's she doing here?" Harry whispered in Hermione's ear. She just shrugged. "Um…interesting idea, Luna," he said louder. "But I was thinking of something a bit more…traditional. Any other suggestions?"

"Just how many goblins could we count on, if they helped us?" Dan asked. All eyes turned to Minister Bones for an answer, as she would be the one with the most knowledge of such matters.

"At most, several hundred," she replied. "But based on what I saw during the original battle, that may not be enough."

"But it could be," Harry mused. "Think about it. Depending on when we act, there might not be a full moon. A lot of Voldemort's strength came from his army of werewolves. If it isn't a full moon, he wouldn't necessarily be able to count on them to fight for him. That should count for something."

"Maybe a little," Hermione interjected. "But don't you think we're reaching for straws here, counting how many people we may have against how many they might have? If we keep doing it that way, I think we may cut it a bit too close for comfort."

"Maybe you're right. And now that I think about it, there are also the wards to worry about. I can sense it in the back of my mind. The wards are back up. Voldemort must have put the stone back in place." Harry thought he could hear the door to the library open at that moment, but he wasn't sure.

"Then how are we supposed to get past them?" Draco asked.

"It's quite simple, actually," Minerva's voice rang out. "While the wards are up, there is only one person who can get through them. The Headmaster."

All eyes turned to Harry, who only barely resisted squirming under their intense gaze. Instead, he decided to deflect the attention.

"Then how were we able to come and go at will when the wards were up before?" he challenged.

"Albus…" she paused. "Albus would lower the wards when he or anyone else would leave, and raise them again when he returned. Otherwise, when a person returned to the school, they would be hit with what he called the 'war wards' which would have various effects. I am sure you are already aware of those wards."

Harry nodded.

"So in order for an attack on Hogwarts to succeed, the wards must be down. That is why the Death Eaters made it a priority in the first place. Unfortunately, Harry, you are the only one who can pass through the wards."

"Just great," he muttered. He hadn't been expecting to have to infiltrate Hogwarts, only to lead an attack against it. "So I guess we'll have to do this in two stages. I'll have to find a way to disable the wards, and then we attack. That is, unless anyone else has any better ideas?" Nobody spoke or raised their hands. "Why is it that I always come up with this stuff?"

Suddenly, felt a strange sensation in the back of his mind. Focusing on it, Harry came to realize that it something was going on at Hogwarts.

"There's something going on at Hogwarts," he voiced aloud. "But I can't tell what it is. It's just too vague, and I'm not that good at figuring out what's going on yet."

Minerva stepped forward to the front of the group, standing only a few feet away from Harry and Hermione.

"Ask it, Harry. Remember, Hogwarts is nearly sentient, imbued with the spirits of the founders. Ask it what it is that's wrong," she suggested.

And so he did. Harry reached out with his mind and asked literally asked Hogwarts what the issue was. _I don't know if this will work,_ he thought, _but I need to know what's going on. What happened? What's the matter?_

Almost on cue, Harry felt a wave of…something pass over him. When it passed a moment later, it was as if a light had gone off in his head. He suddenly understood what the problem was. But he wished he didn't.

"Voldemort broke through our barriers to the Chamber of Secrets," he admitted sullenly.

"What? How?" Hermione asked hurriedly.

"I don't know. All I know is that Hogwarts sensed it."

"Would you mind telling the rest of us what the hell you're talking about, Harry?" Draco asked. His attitude was really starting to get on Harry's nerves.

"I thought you knew?" he asked, but didn't wait for a response. "Anyway, we put up a series of protective barriers to the Chamber of Secrets to prevent Voldemort from getting down there. There were three that operated on a rotating password, as well as the final door that had a parseltongue password. We also put a security charm on the whole thing to alert us if the doors were breached. It seems that they have been. Well, this throws a wrench into things, doesn't it?"

There was an extended awkward silence as he finished speaking, as everyone was considering the implications of what was happening.

"And here I try to lighten the mood with a little joke. Oh well. I guess I now have two reasons to go back there. Problem is, we've got to go now. Hermione, you're in charge of the Order while I'm gone. Get in touch with the goblins, get their help. This ends tonight. But I've got to go now."

He made a move towards the door of the library.

"Right," Hermione said. "Now for my first order of business as head of the Order. Dad, you're in charge. Do everything Harry said, and get to Hogwarts as soon as you can."

Harry spun around upon hearing this. "What're you doing?" he asked.

Hermione walked over to him and stood at his side. "I'm coming with you," she said simply.

"Wait. No. Absolutely not! It's too dangerous!" he rambled quickly, causing Hermione to giggle. "And," he added, "how're you going to get in? I mean, I'm supposed to be the only one who can get through the wards." Harry grinned smugly at her, thinking he had won.

"That's not exactly true, Harry," Minerva countered. "I believe that, as long as another person is in direct contact with you, they can breach the wards as well. That precludes the option of forming one long chain of people to attack the castle, as it requires direct contact with you. I believe that the two of you would be able to make it through the wards."

"Thanks for taking my side on this, Grandma," he muttered.

"Besides, Harry, there's too much to do there for one person. There's the wards to disable, Voldemort to stop, and we can't forget about Nagini. I have a hunch that she's there too, and we can't kill Voldemort without killing her. She's the last remaining Horcrux."

"Fine!" Harry conceded, throwing up his hands in defeat. He quickly exited the library with Hermione hot on his heels.

"Harry, wait up," she gasped, trying to catch up to him as he jogged down the hall to their room. Harry threw open the door and rushed into the closet. He emerged a moment later, strapping the Sword of Gryffindor onto his belt, with his invisibility cloak draped over his shoulder to free up his hands. As a result, half of Harry's body had disappeared.

"Come on." With those two simple words, Harry hurried down the stairs and out the front door. He pulled out his pendant from under his shirt and waited for Hermione to grab hold of his arm. Announcing their destination as Hogwarts, the two Potters disappeared.

End of Chapter 28


	29. I Have Finished the Race

Author's Note: I just want to point out a few things before this chapter. This chapter was started in the spring of 2010 and has sat on my computer for nearly a year, in progress, before I picked it back up. I tried to smooth any transitions and make it flow in the best way possible. But I don't think that, short of a complete rewrite, I can avoid the jump in the story. Aside from that, I noticed when I uploaded this chapter that formatting on seems to have changed recently. Section dividers within chapter don't seem to be showing up if I typed them into Word originally. Instead, I had to insert them manually after I uploaded. I glanced back at some of the more recent chapters, and it appears that this is the case for the past couple as well. I apologize for that, if it made reading more difficult. I'll edit them back in for the next chapter as well. For now, please enjoy!

Chapter 29

**I Have Finished the Race**

Dan Granger watched as Harry and Hermione exited the library of Potter Manor in a hurry. Of course, he could understand why they were in a hurry, but that didn't change the feeling of shock that was coursing through his system. Not five minutes before, they had been planning an offensive against Hogwarts, set for an unspecified date. Now that unspecified date had been moved up to immediately. And it was up to him to make sure everything went according to plan.

Doing his best impression of a General, Dan turned to the rest of the assembled members of the Order of the Gold Cross. "Well, you heard them, let's get going. Everyone, take some time for yourself, contact anyone else you know who can help us, and meet outside the house in one hour. We leave then. Emma and I have an errand to run first."

The members of the Order filed out of the library, leaving only Dan, Emma, and Minerva behind.

"What am I about to get myself into?" Dan asked rhetorically. But Minerva answered him anyway.

"You are about to lead a makeshift army into a desperate battle for the future of mankind," she said.

"No pressure or anything," he replied sarcastically under his breath.

"Dan, do you really think that Hermione would have put you in charge if she didn't think that you could handle it?" Emma suggested. "And for that matter, don't you think that Harry would have objected if he thought that you wouldn't do a good job? Face it, there's a reason they chose you."

"But Harry did object."

"To Hermione going with him, not with you leading the Order. But enough of this, we have things to get done."

Dan nodded and strode out of the library, with the others right behind him. They walked downstairs to the sitting room, where the floo-connected fireplace was located. Dan grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the hearth.

"Gringotts Bank!" he bellowed before being engulfed by green flames. Once the smoke and flames had cleared, Emma took some powder as well.

"I think I'll stay behind here with Elizabeth," Minerva announced. "I think she needs someone to keep her company while you're all away."

Emma accepted that without question, even though she knew that it was not the full story. She believed that Minerva was not quite ready to go back to Hogwarts, as it held too many memories for her. In time, she thought, Minerva would be ready. But until then, it was just best if she was allowed time to herself to grieve without dredging up the past.

Emma bade goodbye to Minerva before throwing the floo powder down just as Dan had. After announcing her destination as Gringotts as well, she too disappeared…

And reappeared in the lobby of the largest wizarding bank in England. She tumbled out of the fireplace, landing in the arms of her husband. Due to their reliance on apparition and their pendants for travel, neither of the Grangers had developed much skill when it came to using the floo. Emma rose to her feet, helped by Dan, before looking around. It appeared as though her mishap with the floo hadn't attracted too much attention. Apparently, it was not an uncommon occurrence, despite the fact that most of the Gringotts patrons were pureblood witches and wizards.

The two Grangers approached the nearest teller and waited for the goblin to notice them.

"Yes?" he asked, peering over his glasses.

"Actually, we're here to speak with Director Ragnok," Dan said politely.

The goblin appeared unimpressed. "And did you have an appointment to speak with Director Ragnok? His time is precious, and cannot be wasted with walk-in meetings."

"No, we don't have an appointment," Dan replied, beginning to lose his patience.

"Then you will just have to make-"

"We're here on behalf of Harry Potter," Emma interrupted, giving Dan a glare for not mentioning that in the first place. He blushed slightly and shrugged.

The goblin's eyes narrowed and he was silent for a moment. Dan shifted his feet uncomfortably. For some reason, the diminutive creature was oddly imposing. "Very well. I will notify Director Ragnok that you are here to speak with him." However the goblin simply sat in his seat, not moving.

"Didn't you say you were going to tell the Director we were here?" Emma asked.

"Indeed I did," the goblin replied. "And so I have. A wizard's perception of the world is very…simplistic. Just because you did not see anything, does not mean that nothing transpired. Ah! Here comes Director Ragnok now."

Dan and Emma turned to see Ragnok approach them at a quick pace, a look of worry etched across his face.

"Is there something I can help you with Mr…" he trailed off.

"Granger. Dan Granger. I'm here representing Harry Potter, who is in need of your…special assistance at Hogwarts. Now."

The senior goblin's eyes widened slightly before returning to normal, the look of worry on his face replaced by one of steely determination. "I see. And I assume that by 'now,' you mean immediately. Am I right?"

Dan bit back a sarcastic remark and simply nodded.

"Then please follow me," Ragnok requested, and spun on his heel and led the Grangers back the way he came. They followed him through a well-hidden door in the wall and down a stony corridor lined with several doors. Instead of turning to go through the door to the Director's office, as Harry and Hermione once had, they kept walking quickly down the downward sloping corridor for several minutes until they reached a large door, which looked as though it was made of steel, or some other strong magical material.

Director Ragnok muttered something in Gobbledegook, which neither Dan nor Emma understood. An instant later, the door shimmered before disappearing completely, leaving only a gaping hole in the stone passage. The three walked through to find themselves on a ledge, overlooking a massive chamber, with ceilings several hundred meters above them. Neither Granger could begin to estimate the width, or depth of the cavern, which was lined with magical torches every few meters, as well as hundreds hanging from the ceiling, in order to provide adequate illumination. They could also see dozens of goblins milling about, amongst the several long buildings that lined the floor.

"Welcome," Ragnok began, "to Ipswak, the goblin military base."

"You have a military base underground in the heart of Diagon Alley?" Dan asked.

Ragnok broke into a toothy grin, baring his sharp fangs, but kept his gaze fixed on the site below them. "Mr. Granger, Gringotts is the most secure bank in the magical world for a reason. How do you think we deal with intruders and thieves if we did not have a small security force such as this?"

"Small?" Emma croaked. "I see a few hundred troops down there. That's a small force to you?" Ragnok only nodded.

"And it is time for this small force to get some practice in," he responded with a chuckle. He waved his right hand and a loud horn sounded, echoing off of the chamber walls. All of the goblins below immediately stopped moving and turned to face the three on the cliff, all of them standing at attention.

"Very good," Ragnok bellowed, his magically amplified voice carrying throughout the cave. "It has been a long while since the goblin army was last called into service outside of Gringotts. However, today that has happened. Though historically, wizards have not been the greatest allies of the goblin nation, today their need is dire, and it falls to us to help. So prepare yourselves, for in five minutes, we leave for Hogwarts, and war."

* * *

Harry and Hermione appeared outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, just within the tree line of the Forbidden Forest. They could see the massive castle looming in the distance, the sun just beginning to dip behind the tallest walls, as well as Hagrid's hut. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the confines of the Forest and towards the school.

"Come on," he urged, pulling her forward. Harry was reluctant to let go of her hand, as he didn't want to risk setting off the wards.

As expected, as they passed Hagrid's hut, Harry felt a cool wave pass over him. Frantically turning his head to look at Hermione, he saw that she remained unaffected. So they pressed on. Once they were completely inside the wards, Harry released Hermione's hand and pulled his invisibility cloak over both of them.

Hugging Hermione's body close to his, Harry inched the two of them closer to the castle, until a few minutes later, they reached the large main gates. Harry silently cast an unlocking charm and pushed the door open very slightly, allowing only enough room for both of them to squeeze through. Once they were inside, Harry closed the door again as carefully as he could, making sure not to make any noise.

The entry lay in ruin. Rubble was strewn about the ground, and great craters from spell damage littered the walls. Tapestries from each house that had once proudly adorned the walls were in shreds, with the exception of the one from Slytherin house. Harry couldn't help but think that this was the Death Eaters' doing.

All of a sudden, Hermione pulled Harry over to the side of the corridor.

"Whoa! Hey, what're you doing?" he hissed, his face inches from her own.

"Harry, we need to split up," she said simply. "Think about it. We've got two, actually three things we have to do here, and they're all time sensitive. Wouldn't it make sense to do them as quickly as possible?"

Harry shook his head. "No way. It's too dangerous for you to go out on your own."

"Oh, and it isn't too dangerous for _you_ to come her alone? Come off of it, Harry. We've got to check out the Chamber, deactivate the wards, and possibly find Nagini. Do you really think we can do all three of those things quickly? I'm gonna go up to the Headmaster's office to deactivate the wards, since I remember how Albus got in there in the first place. Then I'll see if I can find Nagini. You need to go down to the Chamber to make sure it's secure. You're the only one of us who can get past the parseltongue door."

Harry had to admit that Hermione's reasoning was sound, and he couldn't argue with her logic. But at the same time, he didn't want to give in and let her waltz into a dangerous situation unprotected.

"Alright, fine," he conceded. "But on one condition. You take the cloak. Wait- before you argue with me let me finish. You'll be safer under the cloak, and you'll need it more than I will, especially since I know where I'm going. I mean, I'm going down to the Chamber, but you'll be wandering around to see if Nagini is here. Trust me; you need the protection of the cloak more than I do."

Hermione grudgingly accepted Harry's terms, and the two of them moved behind one of the suits of armor for cover. Harry stepped out from under the cloak, but kept the side of it held up behind him. He turned around and kissed Hermione softly.

"I love you," he whispered, before dropping the cloak back into place. Instantly, the glimpse of Hermione vanished.

Hermione, under the cover of the invisibility cloak, watched as Harry turned and snuck down the corridor, finally disappearing around a corner. Once he was gone, she returned to the path the two of them had been on when they first entered the castle. She cautiously walked down the corridor, trying to silence her footfalls as much as possible. As Hermione approached the first three-way junction, a pair of Death Eaters came around the corner and nearly ran into her. She barely had time to throw herself up against the nearest wall, and press herself against it.

The two Death Eaters continued by, giving no indication that they had noticed her. Once they had disappeared down the corridor, Hermione allowed herself to release the breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. Making sure that the coast was clear, Hermione peeled herself away from the wall, and adjusted the cloak to make sure she was still adequately covered. She then resumed her trek towards the Headmaster's office.

As she passed the large doors to the Great Hall, Hermione could have sworn that she heard voices coming from inside. A lot of voices. However, she immediately perished any thought of investigating, as it would be too dangerous, and she had a mission to complete. Giving one last curious look to the doors, Hermione turned back and continued on her way.

For the most part, the rest of the journey was uneventful. Hermione encountered several Death Eaters on patrol, always traveling in groups of two or more. As a result, she decided to simply slip by them, unnoticed, as opposed to dealing with them in other ways. Despite these encounters, the castle seemed oddly quiet to Hermione. She had almost been expecting to walk into the school to immediately hear screams echoing from the dungeons, as Voldemort and his followers tortured non-purebloods. But that was not the case. Instead, the lack of excitement in the air only added to Hermione's suspicions, and caused her to be that much more alert.

_Something's not right here_, she thought as she walked. _Shouldn't there be more of them somewhere around here? Shouldn't they be doing whatever it is that Death Eaters do in their free time? Like raiding muggle villages or holding evil charity auctions?_ _I hope Harry's alright._

Thoughts of Harry's safety consumed Hermione as she walked, causing her to almost run into three Death Eaters who were standing directly in front of the gargoyle leading to the Headmaster's office. Instantly, she stopped in her tracks.

_Just great. How am I gonna get the gargoyle to open without them noticing?_

"So why is it that it takes three of us to guard a lousy door?" one of the Death Eaters asked.

"Are you questioning the Dark Lord?" another sneered. He, like the first, sounded quite young, almost like he still belonged at Hogwarts as a student.

_Typical henchmen conversation,_ Hermione thought with a smile. _They're just like the minions in those muggle cartoons. Or students… Wait…maybe I can use that against them… It's worth a shot at least._

Raising her wand, Hermione took aim at the first Death Eater who had spoken.

"Imperio," she whispered.

Instantly, the targeted Death Eater tensed up, and a glazed look overtook his face.

"What is it now, Dodson?"

But there was no response. Instead, Hermione ordered the Death Eater, who was apparently named Dodson, to raise his wand. And that's when everything went to hell. Under the cover of the invisibility cloak, all Hermione saw was red and green flashes, followed by two dull thuds. She peeked out through the cloak to see one remaining Death Eater looking over the bodies of two others. Dodson, as well as another, were both dead on the ground. One stunner from her hidden position later, and the third Death Eater was incapacitated.

_That was pathetic_, Hermione thought. _I guess that new Death Eaters don't get trained on avoiding the Imperious._

Hermione bent over and snapped all three wands, so that the stunned Death Eater wouldn't have access to one when he eventually awoke.

"Incarcerous," she whispered, and bound him as well. She then stepped over the three bodies and made her way to the gargoyle nearby. The gargoyle slid open silently, granting her access without a password as it had done ever since she and Harry had joined the Hogwarts faculty. Hermione took the stairs in silence, and took a deep breath before slowly turning the handle. The door swung open silently, revealing the familiar office, seemingly untouched since the last time she had been there only a few days prior.

The office appeared to be empty. Dark, but empty.

Discarding the invisibility cloak for greater mobility, Hermione walked into the office, wand lit and at the ready. The soft glow from the tip of her wand caused an eerie light to dance on the walls. Hermione crept forward and towards the corner of the office where Dumbledore had kept the ward stone.

The ornate cabinet was in pristine condition, apparently unmolested by the Death Eater occupation. Hermione suddenly stopped a few inches from the cabinet. She couldn't remember what it was that Dumbledore had said to open it before. All she remembered was that it was some string of odd words in another language. But she couldn't even remember the language; let alone what it was that he had said.

With a sigh, Hermione pulled on the cabinet door, and surprisingly it swung open without protest. There, inside the cabinet, was the ward stone, resting in its base just as it had the day Albus had changed the wards. Hermione quickly removed the obsidian cube from its cradle, but stopped once she had it in her hand. What now? What was she supposed to do with it? She couldn't very well keep it with her, as she had no place to hold a one foot cube. She also couldn't just throw it out the window like Malfoy had done, since there was nobody waiting below to catch it.

For an instant, Hermione flirted with the idea of flying it out the window as an eagle, but then realized that she wouldn't be able to keep her grip on such a large smooth surface. She had to come up with another idea. Then it hit her. Hermione searched the office for an unsuspecting spot. After a moment, she found it, in the corner behind the Headmaster's desk, right behind where Fawkes' perch rested. The phoenix was not in the office, and Hermione suspected he hadn't since the passing of Dumbledore. But there was just enough room behind the perch to fit the ward stone.

Once the stone was situated in its hiding place, Hermione retrieved the invisibility cloak from where she had discarded it near the door. She then draped it over the stone, tucking its edges in to keep anyone from tripping on it and noticing it.

As soon as this was completed, Hermione stepped back to admire her handiwork. She couldn't even tell there was anything hidden in the dark corner, which was exactly how she wanted it. She figured that, if and when Hogwarts was retaken, they could simply return to the office and replace the stone it is base to reactivate the wards.

Satisfied with her work, Hermione spun and returned to the door, her wand once again raised. Since she had abandoned the cloak, she was at the mercy of her own stealth abilities, as well as her prowess in battle. Silently she descended from the office to the ground floor of Hogwarts, and stepped out of the stairwell before turning and beginning the trek towards the second floor girls' lavatory, hoping that she would find some trace of Nagini along the way.

* * *

Dan and Emma had returned to Potter Manor soon after visiting Ipswak to meet up with the rest of the Order. Director Ragnok had promised that he and his force would meet up with members of both the old Order of the Phoenix as well as the Order of the Gold Cross in Hogsmeade. They would mass their force in the village before making their push on the castle. In the end, the visit to Gringotts had only taken twenty minutes. Despite that, it was a surprisingly tiring trip, or so Dan thought. But maybe it was more the fact that the day was coming to a close.

As soon as they entered the Manor, both Grangers were struck by the silence that seemed to hang in the air.

"Where is everyone?" Dan asked.

"Well, you're the one who told them to take some time for themselves," Emma quipped. "You shouldn't be surprised when they do just that. So long as they all are here when we leave, we're fine. But you…you don't look fine. In fact, you look positively knackered. Why don't you sit down for a few and I'll get you when it's time."

With that, Emma turned and walked upstairs to their room, leaving Dan alone in the foyer. Putting his hands in his jeans pockets, Dan trudged into the sitting room to do as his wife had suggested. However, he slowed as he entered the room as he saw Draco sitting on one of the couches, staring off into space.

Dan tenuously sat down on the couch opposite Draco. He couldn't help but notice that the young man across from him was dealing with a number of issues. Having watched him deal with Lucius Malfoy the way he had, Dan knew exactly what issues Draco was wrestling with. But he also had to tread lightly.

"You alright son?" Dan asked tenderly.

Draco blinked a few times before focusing his eyes on Dan. His eyes were empty, lifeless, devoid of any light. Dan shuddered as he looked into Draco's eyes for the first time. But at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. It had been four days since his girlfriend had been killed, four days since he had killed his father. Yet in that time, Draco hadn't really shown any emotion about what had happened, he hadn't dealt with his grief.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Draco whispered in response. Dan snorted.

"Bollocks. You are not alright. You've been bottling things up inside of you for several days now. It's time you bring it out into the open. Deal with it. You're not doing yourself, or anyone else for that matter, any favors by keeping everything inside."

"What would you have me do?" Draco growled, scowling at Dan. But Dan didn't cower under the blonde's glare. "Bawl my eyes out? Cry over everything that's happened?"

"That would be a start," Dan retorted. He stood up and walked over to the other couch, sitting down near Draco. "So tell me, what's going through your head right now?"

"Besides annoyance at your nagging?" Draco snapped. Dan nodded. He wasn't about to let himself get baited. He knew Draco had issues to work through, and misdirected anger was only a natural response. Under Dan's intense gaze, Draco shrank back slightly. He now understood why Harry was still intimidated by the man.

"I guess…it's just my fault somehow. I mean…if I hadn't let Ginny get near me, she wouldn't have been in danger."

"You don't know that," Dan replied. "There's no way for you to be sure that she was targeted just because she was with you. In fact, I'm willing to be that that wasn't the case. I think she was chosen just because she was the sister of the Ron fellow. Just because it was Lucius who was polyjuiced as Ron doesn't mean that he used her to get to you. Although I wouldn't put it past him, it seems rather petty. I think it's more that she was close and available when Lucius was impersonating Ron."

"But you can't deny that he used _me_ through _her_! Lucius was able to get information simply because Ginny was near me! Just look at when Harry and Hermione were in America!"

"You're exactly right," Dan said in a quieter tone, purposefully not matching Draco's. "But she was already involved. Lucius just exploited that. I don't know if Harry and Hermione told you about this, but a few years ago, just before your second year, we took a trip to Diagon Alley for supplies. I'm sure you remember Harry's duel with that berk Lockhart?" Draco nodded. "Harry and Hermione don't know that Emma and I know, but that was just a distraction for something else. See, Lucius had slipped a diary into Ginny's cauldron that day, and Hermione stole it under the cover of the duel. That diary was full of dark magic that neither Harry nor Hermione would explain to us. All I know is that it was some kind of attempt to attack or use Ginny. To make a long story short, Ginny was involved long before she was with you. You can't blame yourself Draco."

"And yet I can't help feel like it's my fault."

"There's no reason to though. But I do have a question, Draco. Is that it? Is everything you're feeling just based on blaming yourself?"

"I…don't know what you mean…"

"Did you love her?" Dan asked bluntly. "I know what you told Lucius. But are you grieving just because you blame yourself, or because you were in love with her?"

"I…I don't know. I mean, I loved her…but I don't know if I was in love with her. I'm not even sure I know what love like that is."

Dan nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Not from experience, mind you, but I know exactly what you're referring to. After meeting your…father…or Lucius, I can imagine that he wasn't a very loving person. You probably have no model for love between two people. For most people, the model of love they are exposed to is that between their mother and father, if they are so blessed. But you weren't so lucky. So I think we need to start from scratch here. Tell me how you felt about Ginny. Really, I mean."

Draco paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. But Dan could tell he was dealing with a myriad of emotions, all stemming from his memories of Ginny.

"I guess…I cared for her. A lot. I had fun when she was around me. I actually felt human for once, and not some kind of Death Eater spawn. When she died, I felt as though a part of me died with her. But at the same time, I knew I could go on. Is that where the difference is?"

Dan nodded thoughtfully at Draco's question. "Perhaps. But it's not my place to tell you if you were in love or not. But I can tell you what it is I feel for Emma, what love is to me. Yes, it's everything you just said. When Emma's around, I feel human, I feel complete. But I know that I couldn't go on without her, I couldn't live with myself if I let something happen to her. Her life, her happiness, is more important to me than my own. To me, that's where the difference lies. It's in how much you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the one you love that determines the depth of your relationship. At least to me, that is. Everyone has their own interpretation though."

"Well then by your definition, I wasn't in love with Ginny."

"That's for you to decide for yourself though, Draco. In your own time and your own way. But let me be clear to you: I've always believed that there is some force driving everything in the universe. Harry and Hermione's experiences have only confirmed that for me. The fact that Ginny died, tragic though it may be, serves to highlight the fact that she might not have been the one for you. Think about that for a bit." With that, Dan stood and made his way back towards the room's exit. "We're going to be leaving in a few minutes. But if you need time, take it. Nobody will think any less of you if you don't come with us."

An instant later, Draco was left in the sitting room, alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Realizing that the sitting room probably wasn't the best place for him to be at that moment, Dan made his way up to his and Emma's bedroom. He nudged open the door with his foot and threw himself down on the bed, interlacing his fingers behind his head. After a few moments, Emma emerged from the large closet, now dressed in her Order uniform.

"What happened to resting in the sitting room?" she asked, strapping her wand holster around her wrist.

"Well, let's just say that that room is occupied by a certain blonde wizard."

"Did you _talk_ to him?" Emma asked pointedly, her hands on her hips. Dan knew that look. It was the look he had successfully used many times on Harry, one meant to intimidate. Unconsciously, Dan cowered slightly at his wife's stance. But he gave her the answer she wanted to hear.

"Yes."

Emma smirked, but nodded slightly. "Right answer. Now, what say we get moving? The goblins are sure to be waiting for us by now."

"We've only been here for a few minutes. What makes you think that they're ready already?"

Emma gave him a pointed look. "Do you really think that the goblins are that inefficient? They were probably ready as soon as we left. From the looks of it, their troops were on permanent standby. I'd hate to be in their shoes."

"We might as well be," Dan replied. "I mean, look at us. From the looks of it, it'll be just the two of us and an army of goblins. Talk about feeling out of place."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Emma scoffed as they walked towards the front doors. "That we won't fit in a battle to save the future of humanity, along with our daughter? You need to get your priorities straight, Dan."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But how many others do you really expect to show up here? It's been almost an hour and we haven't seen any sign of more help. I'm almost thinking that they all ran away from here."

"And you would. Because you're a pessimist. You've always been the one to assume the worst in people. Just look at how you tortured poor Harry!"

"That was just some good-natured fun, dear!" Dan argued, adding the 'dear' to make Emma more sympathetic to his argument. It didn't work. Emma's glare bored into Dan's skull. But the latter was saved from further embarrassment when another joined the pair.

"Wait up you two," Draco called, walking swiftly down the hall. "I'm coming with you. I've got some unfinished business to take care of. Lucius is still at the castle. I've got to be there to make sure he ends up in Azkaban this time."

Dan and Emma both nodded silently, accepting the young man's decision.

"Actually, bugger that," Draco continued, "Azkaban's too good for the bloody bastard. If I have anything to say about it, Lucius won't live to see tomorrow." His lips curled into a sinister smirk, causing Dan and Emma to shudder lightly.

The three then opened the front door of the Manor to a sight that that they had not been expecting. Waiting on the large front portico was the entire Order of the Gold cross. But they were not alone. Some of the members had used their break to recruit family and friends, in order to bolster their numbers. The Order was now accompanied by the surviving Weasleys, Nymphadora and Andromeda Tonks, Xenophilius Lovegood, Aberforth Dumbledore, and even Augusta Longbottom, in addition to others.

"Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought," Dan commented to nobody in particular, as they walked out of the Manor. "Okay everyone," he began, loud enough for everyone to hear, "we're gonna meet up with the Goblins in Hogsmeade in order to take back Hogwarts from Darth Voldemort and his evil empire. I'm not gonna waste your time and mine by standing here talking, so let's get going, shall we?"

* * *

Harry landed on his feet at the bottom of the tunnel from the girls' lavatory. Sword at the ready, he looked around, finding only the massive skin of the basilisk he had slain years before. Carefully, he made his way towards the large door at the end of the corridor, which from his end appeared to be sealed tightly. As he was about ten meters away, Harry thought he heard something moving; the sound of something slipping or sliding.

He turned to look back at the slide, only to find nothing was amiss. Turning back around, Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

In a flash, he dove to his left into the brittle basilisk skin. Jumping back to his feet, Harry saw the enormous form of Nagini hiss as it reared back for another strike.

Harry lunged at the snake sword first, barely missing as the beast seemed to leap out of the way. It slithered away, out of Harry's sight.

Aside from the occasional drip of water, silence reigned in the tunnel. Harry's eyes darted around, searching for the snake as he crept forward towards where he had seen Nagini slink off to.

He approached the end of the mammoth basilisk skin. Steeling himself, Harry leapt around the end, sword at the ready. But there was nothing there. No sign of Nagini to be found.

Harry continued to inch his way forward, searching for any sign of the massive snake. As he rounded the front end of the skin, Harry just barely heard a light rustling. Harry threw himself into the stone wall to his right, barely avoiding the strike from Nagini.

Wheezing and clutching his side with his left hand, Harry sliced once more at the snake. He missed as the snaked dropped to the ground, but drew an angry hiss from the beast as it slithered behind him.

As the snake rose again, Harry spun around, slicing the head off of Nagini.

The corpse of the giant snake collapsed to the ground in two pieces, blood seeping onto the cobblestone floor.

Panting lightly, Harry examined the husk of the former Horcrux, to verify that it was indeed dead. Satisfied that this was the case, he turned his attention back to the sealed door to the Chamber of Secrets.

_Hermione,_ he called through the Hat, _I ran into a bit of trouble down here._

There was a moment of silence before any reply came.

_Well, are you just going to leave me in suspense Harry Potter?_ Hermione responded sarcastically. _Or can I assume that you've already disposed of the threat? You didn't get right to the point after all._

_Nice to hear your voice too, _Harry replied with equal sarcasm. _Anyway, I sort of ran into Nagini, and sort of killed her._

_How do you sort of kill something? And isn't that a good thing?_ Hermione questioned. _I mean, that thing was the last Horcrux after all._

_Well yeah, but I just wanted to let you know. I thought you might be worried for my safety or something ridiculous like that. But not to worry, it wasn't really much of a fight. Pretty pathetic actually._

_Oh, but I am worried for your safety, Harry dearest, _Hermione retorted playfully. _Now, what about the Chamber? Is everything alright?_

Harry glanced over at the door, which was still completely sealed. _I'm sure you do care. First chance you get, you change the subject. Now I know just how much I mean to you compared to the Chamber._ _But yeah, looks fine to me._

_But something's not right here. Nagini wouldn't be wandering down here by herself, that just doesn't seem right. You might want to check inside the Chamber just to make sure she wasn't guarding something that's inside. I'll be down in a few minutes._

_Right. _With that, Harry shut down the link and approached the door to the Chamber of Secrets. This original door, protected by a parseltongue password, was only the first of four doors. Harry and Dumbledore had had three more doors installed directly behind this one, with a rotating set of passwords. If one password was incorrect, all three doors would close and the passwords would change. It was nearly impossible for someone to find their way into the Chamber if they did not know the passwords.

The first door slid open after Harry commanded it to do so in parseltongue, and he was immediately faced with the second door behind it.

Looking around to verify that he was still alone, Harry whispered the first of the new passwords, "family."

The second great stone door slid aside, revealing another.

"Divinity," he whispered to this door, causing the door to groan and shift to the side. The final door to the Chamber rested behind, awaiting his password.

"Lemon drops," he said to the door. _Teaches me for letting Albus choose this one,_ Harry thought to himself. As he finished speaking, the door slid open to reveal complete darkness. The unlit expanse before him was not unfamiliar, however, so Harry stepped over the threshold and into the Chamber. As he stepped foot inside, torches along the walls began to light of their own accord.

Leaving the doors open behind him for Hermione, Harry made his way towards the end of the Chamber, where the monument to Salazar Slytherin was slowly being illuminated as the torches were lit. But as he walked, Harry couldn't help but notice the lack of life in the Chamber. There were no signs that there had been any sort of forced entry, nor were there any signs at all that another living behind had been in the Chamber in a long while. Even the statue of Slytherin, behind which the portal allegedly lay, seemed untouched, with the grate to its interior still in place.

Harry stopped in front of the great face of Salazar Slytherin and studied the large gate at the base of the statue. If there was going to be anything wrong in the Chamber it would be behind this gate, as that is where the location of the portal lay.

Opening the grate with the command in parseltongue, Harry stooped and entered the passage. While he had never been in this tunnel before, he could see that it was not long due to flickering light several meters ahead of him.

A moment later, Harry emerged on the other side of the passageway, and took stock of his surroundings. The chamber he found himself in was nearly as large as the main Chamber of Secrets, but was perfectly circular. Torches lined the walls at even intervals, casting an eerie glow on the room.

The floor of the room sloped gently downward from all sides towards the center, where it tapered into a flat circular platform at its lowest point. Rising from this recessed platform was a stone archway, one that immediately sparked Harry's memory.

_Hermione,_ he called out mentally, _you've got to see this._

_I'm almost there, Harry. What's wrong?_

_I think I've found the portal, but it looks just like the one in the Department of Mysteries. The one Sirius fell through before._

_But that doesn't make sense. Why would Voldemort make this portal his target if it's just the same as the one at the Ministry? That would be easier to get to._

_I'm not sure, but-_

"Well, Harry, I must say, if the old man tried to teach you wisdom, he failed miserably."

* * *

The great gates of Hogwarts, hastily repaired following the previous attack, gave way easily under the pressure of the goblin war machine. Goblins poured into the entrance hall, blades at the ready, only to find no reception.

"Where in the hell are they?" Dan asked as he walked in the door and took stock of the situation.

"What, do you think I've been here the whole time?" Draco responded sarcastically as he stepped beside him. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Do neither one of you two have two brain cells to rub together?" Emma asked. "Think it about it for one sodding minute, will you? When we left the other day, there were a handful of Death Eaters left, but most of Voldemort's forces were those werewolf things. It was the full moon a few days ago, so do you expect them to still be transformed and waiting for us?"

"No," the other two replied simultaneously, heads hung in shame.

"That's what I thought. But now we've got two things to do: save Harry and Hermione, and see if we can find those poor people that they turned in those camps."

"You know," Dan began, "I thought it was my job to run the show. And here you are telling us what to do!" he cried in mock indignation.

"Then run the bloody show!" his wife yelled back with equal mock anger.

Meanwhile, the goblins were standing back, watching the show impatiently, and waiting for the real fighting to begin.

"Fine! I'll go with the goblins and look for the hostages. I'm assuming that they'll be somewhere large, like the Great Hall or something. Emma, you, Draco, and the Order can go and look for Harry and Hermione. Here's a hint: look in the Chamber first."

"Now there's a great lead he's given us," Draco mumbled, to which Emma elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

"Can we just get going?" she asked. She received only nods in response, before the large group parted.

* * *

As Hermione skidded to a stop in front of the gaping hole where the girls sink used to be, she heard the great crash of the main gates giving way.

"They sure know how to make an entrance," she muttered to herself as she leapt into the chasm and slid down the tunnel.

Hermione landed gracefully on her feat wand lit and at the ready. In the distance, she saw the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, open from when Harry had gone through. Cautiously, she walked through it and into the empty chamber. On the other side of the room, the passageway through the statue of Salazar Slytherin remained open. As she entered it, she caught a glimpse of raven hair, and rushed forward, only to freeze in her tracks.

"Ah, you brought company, Harry."

Without breaking eye contact with his nemesis, Harry spoke. "Hermione, you remember Tom Riddle, don't you?"

"You dare speak that foul muggle name?" Voldemort hissed. He stood across from Harry, the recess in the center of the room with the archway separating the two of them. Both of them had weapons drawn, a sword for Harry and a wand for the Dark Lord, as they both slowly circled the portal, never breaking eye contact.

Harry shrugged as Hermione stood next to him defiantly. "I wasn't the one who gave you that name. Deal with it."

"You really must learn your place young Harry. Your attitude could get someone hurt…or worse."

"So I've been told. But from the looks of it, there are two of us and only one of you here, Tom. Now, I know that they don't teach elementary arithmetic in the wizarding world, but even you must know that two is more than one."

"Are we really accomplishing anything here?" Hermione interrupted. "You want to kill us, and we want to kill you. Aren't we really just delaying the inevitable?"

Ignoring her comment, Voldemort pressed on. "Do you know what this is, Harry?" he asked, gesturing with his free hand towards the arch. "This is a portal to another world-"

"We know this already," Harry interjected. "And we know that there are two of them. There's another one just like this at the Ministry."

"But like usual, Harry, you are wrong. You see, this is not the same as the Death Arch in the Department of Mysteries. That is a one-way portal only. An object can only enter that portal, never to return. That was a poor attempt by the fools at the Ministry to recreate this portal based purely on legend. This is the original, a way for objects to either enter the portal, or exit from it. But it is a one-way trip." By this point, Harry and Hermione were on the opposite side of the chamber from the entrance, and Hermione had noticed something different about this portal, as a pale purple glow was being emitted from the rippling screen within the archway. "The portal is not yet active, despite its appearance, mudblood," he added, noticing Hermione's interest in the archway.

"Why are you bothering to tell us this?" Harry questioned. "What are you waiting for?"

"The question is, what are you waiting for, Harry? Are you really so foolish to believe that I would come down here on my own? You did, however, open the Chamber for me, bypassing all of the wards you had so carefully set up. And to think all I was forced to do was trip the sensors on the wards. Such a shame. At one point, I actually thought you had potential."

"I'm done with this. Avada Kedavra!" Harry shouted, slashing the Sword of Gryffindor. A jet of bright green surged forward.

Suddenly, the beam changed direction and shot into the purple barrier of the portal without a ripple or a sound, as though a magnet had dragged the curse off course.

"You asked what I was waiting for Harry, and now you know the answer. The power of the portal renders any cast magic ineffective. We are all but common muggles in this room. You do, however, still wield a sword. But I would think carefully about using it if I were you."

As he finished speaking, two figures, shrouded in darkness, could be seen approaching through the passageway from the Chamber proper.

With a smirk, Voldemort spoke. "Ah, just in time…"

* * *

As Dan and the goblins approached the Great Hall, having encountered no resistance thus far, Ragnok spoke.

"I thought that we were to expect giants and Death Eaters, human," he growled, sounding disappointed.

Dan was thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I can't speak for the Death Eaters," he began, "but I'd wager that the giants left. They're good in a siege, not as a defense."

"Then what is there to defend this castle? I see no defenders. In fact, I see no effort to hold the castle at all. What was the point of attacking and capturing this location if the attackers did not intend to hold it?"

Dan did not reply, and instead considered the words of the goblin patriarch. It was true. So far, there had been no resistance to speak of. Initially, he had thought that the defenders were hiding, or planning an ambush in a strategic location. But now it appeared that this was not the case. Granted, he knew that, at least logically, it made sense that there were few defenders, since the lycans were no longer able to help Voldemort, leaving only Death Eaters and giants. But now there were only Death Eaters.

_Maybe he's trying to get the portal open before we stop him,_ Dan thought. _That way, he can release some hellish demon army to defend the castle, instead of relying on his own people to do the dirty work._

Deciding to let the goblins engage in the sport of killing, Dan stopped in front of the closed doors to the Great Hall and signaled for the goblins to go ahead.

"You can go first," he said. "Based on how you were talking earlier, I'm assuming that not enough blood has been spilt for your tastes?"

Ragnok bared his fangs in a sinister grin before drawing a curved goblin blade. Two goblins rushed to the doors, each one taking up position at a handle. Almost on cue, they pulled, opening the great wooden doors and allowing the goblin horde to flow through.

From his position to the side of the doors, Dan could not see into the Hall. But seconds after the goblins entered the room, he could hear several dull thuds, followed by silence.

Cautiously, Dan peered around the open doors and, seeing no immediate danger, stepped into the Great Hall. Upon first entering the cavernous room, he saw the decapitated bodies of five Death Eaters, their severed heads lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

"I must say, you are efficient little fellows," he commented wryly, before surveying the rest of the Hall. But he was unprepared for what he saw when he looked up at the enchanted ceiling.

Floating, as if suspended from the ceiling by invisible threads, were hundreds of bodies, none of which were moving. They appeared to by lying as if resting on a massive bed, and were packed so tightly as to block out the ceiling from view.

"Are they alive?" Dan asked, never tearing his eyes from the gruesome sight.

One of the goblins summoned a body from the ceiling, and it slowly descended to the ground. As it landed, Dan got a brief glimpse at what appeared to be a middle-age woman, who actually reminded him of his wife, before the goblins crowded around. Ragnok shoved his way into the huddle, before kneeling over the body.

A moment later, the goblin ruler rose and stepped away from the woman and approached Dan.

"She is alive," he said quietly, his eyes darting back to the woman's prone figure. "However, just barely. It appears that she as well as the others are in some sort of magically induced coma. We can reverse it, but it will take time."

"How much time?"

"Days, most likely," Ragnok replied. "We cannot reverse the coma here, we must instead transport the subjects to Ipswak where our healers can set to work."

Glancing up at the suspended bodies once more, Dan spoke, "do it."

Ragnok nodded and began barking orders in Gobbledegook. Acting on his commands, goblins began to summon the bodies at a feverish pace.

"This will take time," Ragnok explained. "The bodies must be transported outside of the castle grounds before being taken to Ipswak. It would be unsafe to use a portkey or apparition near such a source of powerful magic as Hogwarts because this is a magically induced coma."

Dan nodded as he watched the goblins work. "I don't know how many Death Eaters there are left in the castle, but I can't imagine that there are many. Do you think that you'll be able to handle it from here if I go and find the others?"

Ragnok shot Dan a bewildered look. "Was that really a necessary question, human?"

Dan took another look at the decapitated figures of the dead Death Eaters again before shrugging his shoulders. "I guess not. I'm just going to head towards the girls' lavatory. We'll check in with you shortly."

With a final glance at the floating bodies, Dan turned towards the doors and left the Great Hall.

* * *

Draco and the others made their way towards the girls' lavatory, passing the library doors on the way. As they passed, they heard what sounded like voices coming from behind the doors, so Draco and his entourage stopped to investigate. Stopping to the side of the doors, Draco put a finger to his lips, calling for silence, before peering through one of the large windows on either side of the doors.

Inside, he could see a pair of Death Eaters, neither of which he recognized, both of whom had their backs turned to the door, apparently examining something that the shorter of the two was holding. Draco crept forward and silently inched the door open before slipping inside, followed closely by Emma.

"Yaxley! Just take the damn potion and meet with Malfoy. It's only set to last about fifteen minutes anyway, so what do you have to worry about?" The taller of the two asked.

"But what if it doesn't last that-"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Just drink it! Malfoy's waiting!"

A nod to Emma and two stunners later, the two Death Eaters lay incapacitated on the floor. Draco walked over and snatched the vial of potion out of Yaxley's hand.

Glancing at the vial, Emma spoke. "What do you suppose it is?" she asked.

The pale blue liquid inside the vessel shimmered under the rays of the sinking sun, which shone through the library windows. Neither Draco nor Emma recognized the potion.

"It's a short-term polyjuice potion," a dreamy voice interrupted from behind them.

Draco and Emma turned to see Luna Lovegood staring at them nonchalantly. The other two exchanged a look of incredulity before shrugging their shoulders.

"And how do you know that?" Emma asked expectantly.

"Oh, daddy wrote about it in the issue where he discovered that the entrance to the lost city of Atlantis is actually located in Hyde Park in London."

"Naturally," Emma muttered under her breath. "What else can you tell us?"

"Well, Merlin is actually still alive and living in Atlantis with Attila the Hun and Moses. Daddy says that they've spent the years enjoying many hobbies, the most recent being butter churning."

"That's not what I meant," Emma protested. "What else can you tell us about the potion?"

"Oh, not much. The potion was just mentioned in a small column next to the section on sightings of the Fountain of Youth."

Draco nodded his head patiently, never interrupting or discounting what Luna was saying.

"So, let's get this straight," Emma began, "one of these blokes was going to drink this and meet with Lucius. But then what were they going to do?"

"What, did you expect for us to walk up to them and listen in as they spilled their entire diabolical plan?" Draco asked sarcastically. "It only works that way in American films. If we really want to find out, we would have to go along with their plan and figure it out as we go along."

Emma appeared pensive for a moment. "Well, that is one option…but we don't even know who this potion is keyed to."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, sod it all!" he exclaimed as he uncorked the vial.

"But you don't know-" But Emma was cut off by Draco downing the contents of the vial.

"There's no better way to find out than to jump in feet first," Draco explained.

Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground in a fit of convulsions, every limb twitching. Emma attempted to rush over to him, but was held back by Luna.

"This is normal," she explained. "He's in great pain right now, while that's not always par for the course for Polyjuice potion, this one has been modified, so the transformation process should be a bit different."

Despite her concern, Emma restrained herself from pushing forward and watched as Draco's features began to shift and change. After a moment, the convulsions and transformation ceased, leaving behind a completely different body.

"Well, that was unexpected," Luna commented, looking down at Draco's new form.

"Um, now I'm really curious as to what they were planning," Emma added.

"Why?" Draco groaned, sitting up. "What do I look like? I'm assuming that, since I can tell that I'm missing some extra bits down there, I don't look like a bloke anymore."

"You could say that," Emma began. "Draco, I'm not sure how to break this to you, but-"

"You're Elizabeth," Luna finished.

Draco stood up and looked down at his new body, which only confirmed what Luna had said.

"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered, shifting his weight to try and fit into his clothes better.

"I'm afraid not," Emma said, sniggering lightly. "But there's no time to dawdle. That potion only lasts for a few minutes, and I'm assuming that Lucius is waiting for you."

"Right," Draco said as he nodded. He turned and started for the door of the library.

"Where do you think you're going?" Emma asked. "First off, you are still wearing the same clothes as you were before, but second, do you even know where you are supposed to meet him?"

"Well, I would assume that whatever this plan is involves the Chamber, so I would think that he would be in the girls' lavatory."

"Maybe. But before you go, here." Emma pulled out her wand and transfigured Draco's clothing into a standard Hogwarts girls' uniform, complete with a skirt and blouse.

"They probably found a hair in the dormitory or something," Luna interjected as Emma finished.

"Um, yeah, sure, Luna," Draco replied. "But I've got to get going now. You can follow me, but stay a good distance behind. This is my one chance with Lucius, and I don't want to ruin it."

He left the library and continued on the route to the girls' lavatory on the second floor. Emma, Luna, and the remaining members of the Order of the Gold Cross followed, staying out of sight. A moment later, Draco walked through the door to the lavatory, to find Lucius Malfoy standing in front of the open sink.

"You're late," he commented, eyeing Draco closely. "The Dark Lord does not take kindly to tardiness. You had best hope that he is feeling forgiving today."

As Lucius spoke, Draco examined his biological father for any signs pr remnants of his interrogation session a few days prior. But he could see none. Instead, Draco simply nodded toward the opening, hoping to avoid speaking.

"Remember, you are my prisoner," Malfoy explained slowly, as though he were speaking to a child. "You must go first, at wandpoint."

Putting his faith in the effectiveness of the potion, Draco jumped into the hole in the floor and slid down towards the Chamber of Secrets. A moment after he landed at the bottom, he turned to find Lucius sliding to a halt as well. Looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings, Draco spotted the open stone door at the end of the corridor. With a glance at Lucius, he began to make his way towards the door.

_This is either going to be the most cunning plan I could have ever cooked up, or the most stupid,_ Draco thought as he walked. At certain points, out of the corner of this eye, he could see Lucius' wand trained on him. Draco only hoped that it was only for show and that elder blonde did not suspect anything was amiss.

The two entered the Chamber proper, before making their way to the statue of Slytherin, and the opening at its base. As Draco exited the small passageway on the other side, a raspy, snake-like voice spoke.

"Ah, just in time…"

Draco whipped his head around to see the imposing visage of Voldemort to his immediate right. In front of him, rested a great stone archway, filled with a cloudy purple substance. Through the murky ooze, Draco could also see Harry and Hermione standing defiantly on the other side.

Immediately though, as he entered the room, Draco felt an arm around his shoulders and cold metal pressed against his throat.

"You see, Harry," Voldemort began, "it would be foolish if you to make use of that sword. We have taken…precautions, to prevent such an incident."

"You son of a bitch!" Harry shouted. "What are you trying to accomplish with this?"

"You really should have made sure that the little brat wouldn't follow you here, Harry. It was all too easy to take advantage of the situation and get some…leverage." As he spoke, the Dark Lord moved behind Draco and Lucius, towards the only exit from the small antechamber. With a hissing whisper, a solid stone barrier dropped into place, sealing the chamber. "I have no doubt that there are others in the castle that have come with you, Harry. Now we are alone."

* * *

Emma and the Order had just entered the main area of the Chamber of Secrets when the groaning of stone echoed through the massive cavern. At the far end of the Chamber, she could see the soft glow of candlelight through a narrow passageway as it was extinguished by some sort of obstruction.

Seeing this, Sirius ran towards the tunnel, slowing down as he crouched to enter it.

"Damn it!" he groaned, as he reached the stone slab blocking his way.

"Can you even be bothered to think, Padfoot?" Remus asked, as he came up behind him. "It's only stone. We broke through worse than that during our Hogwarts days, remember?" He pointed his wand at the obstruction. "Reducto!"

The beam lashed out from his wand and struck the barrier and reflected back, ricocheting off of the walls of the narrow passage, narrowly missing a student before exiting back into the main Chamber and dissipating.

"Yeah, don't try that again, Moony," Sirius commanded, more calmly than he felt. "I don't think that is 'only stone.'"

"Well then, what are we supposed to do now?" Remus asked.

"You were always the intelligent one of the group," Sirius pointed out. "You think of something."

With an irritated snort, Remus took another glance at the stone slab. "Even though it looks like it, I don't think this is stone."

"I already said that," Sirius muttered.

"And," Remus continued, as if Sirius had not spoken, "since it seems like it closed before we even got close to it, I think it is controlled from the inside. That means we can't open it normally from this side. And since we can't curse it into oblivion…"

"Are you suggesting that we have to just wait them out in there?" Emma interrupted.

"For now," Remus replied, "that's all I can think of."

* * *

"Now, since we are alone now, we can speak properly," Voldemort said. "Regardless of what you may think, there is a reason for bringing a worthless child into this. There is a method to my madness, if you will."

"I doubt that," Harry muttered.

"I know that you saw the information about this portal, including the runes needed to call forth the beings from the other side."

"How-"

"Do you really think I would leave such sensitive materials with my disciples and not keep it with me personally? Do you really have such a low opinion of me, Harry? As I was saying, I know you are aware of the runes needed. However, there is one requirement that was left out of the information you obtained."

"And what could that be?" Harry asked through gritted teeth, never taking his eyes off of Elizabeth.

"The runes must be drawn in blood. Now, normally this would be an easy undertaking. I have no shortage of loyal followers who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for my cause, of this you have made certain. But the one who opens the portal must do so with the blood of his equal."

Silence reigned in the chamber for a moment as Harry contemplated the meaning of the Dark Lord's words. Suddenly, a ghostly voice flashed through his mind.

"…_and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal…"_

Harry looked up at his nemesis sharply as the words rang through his mind.

"You know of what I speak, Harry."

"Yes, but how do you?"

"Did you think that you were the only one who could retrieve the prophecy, Harry? While it had your name specifically on it, the orb recognized me as the true Dark Lord of which it spoke. I assume that the old man regaled you with the tale of its creation. Quite an interesting little limerick if I do say so myself, isn't it Harry?"

"Go bugger one of your pet Death Eaters."

"Come now, Harry. Are those really some of the last words you want to say?" As he spoke, Voldemort opened the left side of his long robe and drew out a gleaming blade. "This is the Sword of Salazar Slytherin," he explained as he cast his robes to the floor. "I give you a chance now, Harry, to strike me down where I stand. Do you take advantage-"

"You're damn right I do you bastard!" Harry shouted as he charged toward his nemesis, blade first.

Voldemort easily parried Harry's first attack, deftly maneuvering behind the charging teen. Harry spun to face his enemy again, just as Voldemort sliced.

Metal struck metal as the two legendary swords collided. With a great blast of strength, Voldemort pushed back at Harry's blade. Harry staggered backward, nearly colliding with Lucius.

The Malfoy patriarch tightened his grip on Draco, pressing the knife deeper into his throat. "You will watch her die if you come any closer, Potter," he growled as they stepped to the side. "And I need not remind you that she _will_ die if the Dark Lord loses."

With a sidelong glance at Malfoy and his prisoner, Harry leapt back into battle.

Newly reminded of the safety of his daughter, Harry fought back with reckless abandon. His renewed vigor caught Voldemort by surprise, who staggered back into the side support of the archway under Harry's assault.

Harry seized on this opportunity and slashed at his prone target. Voldemort ducked to his right at the last moment as Harry's strike grazed his left shoulder.

Hissing in pain, Voldemort backed away from Harry, clearly favoring his left side while still clutching his blade with his right. He backed toward Hermione, who had pressed herself against the wall as the fight raged.

As Voldemort backed up putting the portal between him and Harry, Harry glanced at Hermione. Taking this look as her cue, Hermione leapt at Voldemort, wrapping her arms around his neck as she tried to pull him to the ground.

"Now, Harry!" she shouted

But before Harry could strike, Voldemort elbowed Hermione with his right arm causing her to release her hold, then spun and elbowed her once again in the side of her head. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, unconscious.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled, eyes wide with panic as he watched through the haze of the portal as she fell to the ground.

Focused on his incapacitated wife, Harry didn't notice the slash until it was too late. With one deft stroke, Voldemort sliced Harry's right arm from shoulder to wrist. Blood poured from the wound as clean, white bone became visible.

Harry collapsed to his knees in anguish, dropping his sword. Harry clutched his right shoulder with his good arm as he watched Voldemort approach him, blade at his side.

The Dark Lord walked behind Harry and kicked the Sword of Gryffindor into the portal, which rippled slightly as the blade ceased to exist. Harry then heard the clatter of the Sword of Slytherin, as it hit the ground, followed by a scratching noise from behind him that he could only assume was that blade also being kicked away.

Curious as to what was happening, Harry struggled mightily to stand. As his knees left the ground, he felt a sharp stab of pain as he saw a long, serrated hunting knife impale his left shoulder, a pale, bony hand clutching the handle. Under this added pain, Harry collapsed to his knees once more hissing in pain.

Voldemort, still holding the handle of the knife, walked around Harry and crouched in front of him, blocking most of Harry's view of the portal.

"Harry," he began, grasping Harry's chin tightly, "when I cut you down, you stay down. Permanently." To emphasize this point, he twisted the handle of the knife, eliciting an anguished scream from Harry.

During all of this, Draco had not dared to move; for fear that doing so would give away his presence. However, watching Harry at the mercy of Voldemort changed that mindset instantly.

"Harry!" he squeaked, in his best impression of Elizabeth's voice, hoping to have some impact.

Harry cocked his head slightly, turning towards the newest interruption. He knew that voice, or at least knew that it did not belong to Elizabeth. _She never calls me Harry anyway,_ he thought. _That can't really be her._

"If the little bitch talks again, she dies, Potter," Malfoy threatened. "Tell her to keep her mouth shut."

Harry smirked inwardly before speaking. "Don't worry about anything, _darling_," he began, emphasizing the last word, "I've got everything under control."

His final sentence drew an uncharacteristic snort from the Dark Lord crouching in front of him. "You have everything under control, Harry? I think that the situation is quite reversed myself." He drew another long blade from behind his back, brandishing it menacingly in front of Harry.

"Where do you keep finding those things?" Harry asked, as he saw Hermione begin to stir from his limited vantage point through the portal. "Hermione, dearest, we need to find some safer toys to leave around. You never know who is going to find them."

Suddenly, Draco collapsed in Lucius's arms, and fell to the ground in another fit of convulsions.

"She's dying, Harry," Voldemort explained.

"Really?" Harry rasped in reply. "Because to me it looks like the polyjuice potion is wearing off."

The Dark Lord broke eye contact with Harry to glance over his shoulder at the transformation. "I tire of this Harry. It is time to end this."

Harry shot a small smile at Hermione, who was just rising from the ground before speaking.

"Go to hell."

With that, Harry kicked off of the ground and into his enemy. As he did so, the knife impaled him in his gut and tore through his stomach as the Dark Lord flailed. Yet Harry pushed on, shoving Voldemort towards the portal. With his final ounce of strength, Harry pushed Voldemort into the portal, collapsing as he did so.

But as he fell into the shimmering purple veil, Voldemort reached and grabbed at the two blades firmly entrenched within Harry.

"Gahhh!" Harry cried as he was pulled forward with the Dark Lord and into the portal.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, running toward the portal.

But it was too late. Silence reigned in the chamber as only a transfixed Hermione and Lucius, and a rising Draco were left.

* * *

Draco rose from the ground just in time to see Harry fall through the portal, pulled by the Dark Lord Voldemort. Both Hermione and Lucius stood, staring at the portal to which they had both lost someone. Taking advantage of this moment, Draco turned and punched Lucius in the temple, sending the older blonde to the ground. His menacing curved knife skidded across the floor to the other side of the room.

With Malfoy unconscious, Draco rushed over to the bawling Hermione and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, I'm sure that there's some way to bring him back. This was supposed to be a two-way portal, right?"

Hermione shook her head into Draco's chest, her muffled sobs continuing unabated.

"What, why not? I mean, if we just open-"

"Are you daft, Draco?" Hermione cried, lifting her head away from his chest. "If we open the portal, all we do is accomplish what Voldemort set out to do in the first place. It's a no-win scenario!"

"Well then, maybe Lucius might know something or can help."

"I'm sure he'll be willing to do so, especially with his master gone," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"What can it hurt?" Draco asked as he released Hermione and went back over to Lucius's prone form. With both hands, he picked up the fallen head of the Malfoy family, who was just beginning to stir. Draco then dragged Lucius towards the portal and stood him up, holding him at arms' length, just barely out of reach of the portal. Draco then drew his wand and pressed it up against Lucius's stomach.

"Where are they?" Draco growled.

"Do you really have to ask, Draco?" Lucius sneered. "They're dead, both of them."

"How do we get them back?"

"Did you not hear me, boy? They. Are. Dead. You can't get them back. They are gone forever. It's just like those fools at the Ministry use their poncey version for executions. It is a one-way trip."

"You're lying."

"Have I ever lied to you Draco? I've always told you the truth, even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear. For example, you are the worst excuse of a son I could have ever been cursed with. I should have let Narcissa terminate the pregnancy at the beginning like she wanted to. But I wanted an heir. It's a shame you were never worthy of the Malfoy name. You couldn't even kill me when you had the chance."

"But I have that chance again now," Draco retorted, pressing his wand deeper into the elder man's gut.

"You expect me to believe that you would kill me while I am unarmed? That you would throw me into the veil like the others? How original. Draco," Malfoy taunted, "always living in the shadow of much larger giants. Never could think for himself."

"Who said anything about throwing you into the portal?" Draco asked.

"Draco!" Hermione called, "you can't use your wand in here. Anything you cast just gets sucked into the portal."

"Good to know," he snarled in response. "Reducto."

A flash of light slammed into Lucius, bursting out the other side in a shower of gore, which was immediately sucked into the veil. Draco released his hold on his prisoner, watching as he clutched at the gaping hole in his torso as he fell through the portal, never to be seen again.

Draco stepped back from the portal, hoping to avoid the same fate as Harry. He returned to Hermione and pulled her into another embrace, as they stood near the stone barricade leading to the outside world, staring at the portal that had claimed three lives.

"Harry!" a faint voice yelled, shaking Draco from his reverie. "Hermione!"

He released Hermione, who slid down the wall and pulled her knees to her chest, and turned and put his ear against the stone door, hoping to hear the voices better.

"Are you in there?" the muted male voice called.

"Yes!" He yelled back, hoping to penetrate the thick stone. "It's Draco! And Hermione's here with me!"

There was a pause before a tentative reply wafted through the wall. "Draco, its Dan. Where's Harry?"

Draco shot a sad, sidelong look at Hermione, who still had not torn her gaze from the portal. After taking a deep breath, Draco replied. "Harry's dead," he said simply. "It's over."

There was silence for a moment as neither side spoke.

Finally, a vaguely female voice was heard. "Draco, Emma here. We need to get you out of there, and then we can talk about what happened. But we're not sure how to open this door."

"Voldemort called it down. I think it was in parseltongue. And we can't do anything from here, since any cast magic is useless in here."

"And we can't destroy it from out here. This thing isn't made of stone. It just reflects back anything we throw at it. Dan," she said in a softer tone, likely talking to her husband separately, "go find the goblins. See if they know of any way to bypass a parseltongue door."

"I doubt it," Hermione said softly, speaking for the first time since Lucius's death. "I think we're trapped in here for a while."

End of Chapter 29


	30. I Kept the Faith

Author's Note: Just as a short note before this chapter, I did want to mention that this is one of the shorter chapters in recent memory. That is intentional, especially due to the purpose of this chapter. In addition, I did post both chapters 29 and 30 at the same time. So if you just clicked onto the last chapter, be sure to check and see if you read chapter 29 as well. Aside from that however, I thank you all for reading and hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 30

**I Kept the Faith**

The last thing Harry Potter wanted to do was open his eyes. The darkness of sleep formed an incredibly comfortable blanket of security. But Harry no longer felt as though he was falling. Falling. That was the last thing that Harry remembered. Falling through the portal in the clutches of Voldemort. Falling after that, even. Seemingly endless falling. But now it was over. Now, for the first time in what seemed like ages, Harry was on solid ground. But did he dare open his eyes to see what hellish vision awaited him?

Deciding that he could not keep his eyes closed forever, Harry cracked one open to see pure, blinding whiteness. He tentatively opened his other eye, blinking to grow accustomed to the brightness.

"Welcome to the afterlife, Harry. You're dead. Again," a familiar, wizened voice said.

Harry rose onto his elbows and sat upright, looking around. Seeing nothing, he stood and turned around completely, coming face to face with Albus Dumbledore.

"Grandpa!" he called out excitedly, before quickly tempering his enthusiasm. "Oh, right. It's probably not you. I forgot about that."

"You are correct on one of those counts, Harry, but not both. No, I am not Albus Dumbledore, but at the same time, I am."

"Come again?"

"Come now, Harry, you've been here before. Remember? I have merely taken the form of one who was close to you, for your comfort of course."

"Right. But why am I here again? I fell through the portal. Shouldn't fire and brimstone await me?"

The image of Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Take a seat, Harry," he offered. Harry turned to suddenly find a large leather wing-backed chair resting behind him. He sat and looked back up, only to find that Dumbledore had done the same.

"Harry, over the years, I have visited you on numerous occasions, in order to steer you in the right path, towards a final outcome that would benefit all of mankind. Today, you have completed that goal. Now, I know that the cost was high. Many that you cared for lost their lives over the course of the struggle against Voldemort, yourself included. But it was necessary."

"Necessary?" Harry asked, taken aback. "Then why send me back in the first place five years ago if I was just going to die again? Wouldn't it have saved us both a lot of trouble just to send me back to when I was killed in the first place so I could finish him off then?"

"Harry," Albus began patiently, "there are many things to consider here. First, how would it have appeared if you had simply risen from the dead after being struck down by a killing curse? Miraculous, wouldn't you say? And what would the state of the world have been if you had returned then? I have given you the chance to craft your own world, your own future, from the very beginning. It is not a chance that is given to many."

"I didn't craft my own future? I'm dead!"

"Would you care for a lemon drop, Harry?" the figure of Dumbledore asked, as a dish appeared in his hand.

"Of course I don't want a bloody lemon drop! I just want to know what's going on!"

"Please watch your language in front of me, Harry," Albus requested, as the dish disappeared. "I simply wanted you to feel comfortable, and lemon drops have various soothing properties. But back to your question. You do, in fact, have a future. Despite all appearances, this is not the end for you. If it were, I would not have saved you from the fall to the abominable netherworld."

"Oh," Harry replied stupidly, properly chastised.

"Time has no meaning here, Harry, so we are free to converse for as long as necessary. I know that you have questions, which is why I cleared my schedule for you."

"But didn't you just say that time has…never mind…" Harry trailed off, slightly confused. "So what happens now, then?"

"That is entirely up to you." In the distance, Harry could see an ornate oak door materializing, alone in the white expanse. "Behind that door, everyone you have lost wait for you, including your parents and the real Albus Dumbledore. But venturing through that door is a one-way journey. There is, however, another option. You could go back again."

"Why are you even offering me the choice? I think it's obvious which one I'll choose."

"Perhaps, Harry. But I am still offering you the choice, so that you have the freedom to choose. Granted, I knew before you arrived here that you would choose to go back. I knew that long ago."

"I think I'm beyond asking the question of 'how." Harry retorted.

"Indeed. But I will humor you anyway. I assume that you remember the Book of Designs that I showed you when you first arrived here five years ago. However, I did not show you the contents of the book, I merely informed you of its existence. There was a very good reason for this, Harry. Everything you have ever done, including dying for the first time, and going back to live again, was written in that book. Everything you will do after you leave here is written in that book. Your death at Voldemort's hands was meant to happen. Everything that has transpired since then was meant to happen."

"Even those moments of indecision and weakness when fighting Death Eaters? You had to literally remind me to hold no quarter with them. Was that part of the plan?"

"Those instances were of your own making, Harry. Certain events were meant to happen, not reactions. That may seem like a fine line to draw for you, but there is a vast difference between the two, believe me. The events you experienced were designed to prepare you for the war that would inevitably come. All I had to do was give you a few gentle nudges in the right direction."

"But it is over now, right? Voldemort really is dead?"

"Indeed. And so were you. With his last breath, Voldemort attempted to drag you down into the hellish pit, never to emerge, never to break free of endless anguish. But you were spared, partially due to your inherent righteousness in constantly fighting against the will of Voldemort. But mainly due to your faith. This is tied to your determination in fighting the good fight, but you never once wavered in the face of evil. You constantly followed my directives, despite how uncomfortable they may have seemed for you. That was where your true strength lay. That is why you are sitting here now."

"So then what happens next?"

"I can't tell you that. That is for you to discover on your own, Harry. But life is only just beginning for you. The easy part is over, now life truly begins."

"I understand," Harry replied.

"See that you do. This is the final time that we will speak, Harry. I will keep watching you, but don't expect me to interfere in your affairs directly again."

"So I'm on my own now?"

"You are never on your own. You have family that cares very much for you. In fact, they are currently grieving over your death. But I will always be watching, remember that. While I may not meddle in your life directly, I will always be there. Or here."

Albus stood up, his chair vanishing as he did so. Harry followed his lead, and his chair disappeared as well. He then stepped up to Harry and extended his hand, which Harry grasped firmly.

"Goodbye Harry, and farewell," Dumbledore said, as he shook Harry's hand.

"Thank you," Harry replied, as he released the hand. As soon as he released Dumbledore's hand, the image vanished, leaving Harry alone in the vast white expanse.

Alone in the void, Harry looked around briefly before a ghostly blue door appeared directly in front of him. This door appeared translucent, as opposed to the solid appearance of the door from earlier.

"Walk through this door, Harry," the voice of Dumbledore instructed him, its source unclear. "Walk through this door and into your life once more."

Harry grasped the handle tentatively and hesitated for a moment. He then took a deep breath, opened the door, and strode confidently through.

* * *

"The goblins aren't going to have a parselmouth with them," Hermione argued. "Unless they can find a way to blast through that door, I don't know how we're going to get out of here."

Draco sighed as he glanced over at Hermione. "Hermione, I'm sure we'll get out of here. I doubt that this thing is impenetrable, especially to the goblins. We're just stuck in here for a little bit until everyone out there finds a way to get us out."

Hermione snorted as she closed her eyes and lowered her head onto her knees, which were still clutched up against her chest. Seeing this, Draco crawled the few meters to Hermione and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Listen, I know that you're not in the best way right now, with…" he struggled for the right words, "what happened. But I don't think that's any reason to be so despondent about our chances of getting out of here."

As he spoke, Draco looked up, staring off into space beyond the portal. Suddenly, the portal began to pulsate, white light rippling along its surface. Draco shifted his gaze to the shimmering veil, watching the changes curiously.

After nearly a minute of the strange rippling, the portal suddenly returned to normal, giving no indication of the previous events.

_That was odd,_ Draco thought, as he continued to observe the portal.

Without warning, the portal suddenly flared up again for a brief instant, before a figure strolled out. The portal flashed briefly once more before the veil flickered and vanished. Only the great stone archway remained.

"Um, Hermione," Draco began, "I really do think that we'll get out of here."

"Ugh, not again, Draco. I'm tired of hearing your pathetic pep-talks. Just leave me be for now."

"No. I mean, I _really_ think that we'll get out of here now. Look," he replied, nudging her shoulders forward with his arm.

With a sigh, Hermione tentatively lifted her head and opened her eyes.

"Harry?" she whispered, her eyes widening.

"Hey," Harry replied sheepishly, giving a slight wave. "It's me."

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked, jumping up and leaping into his arms. "I thought you died!" she sobbed into his chest.

"I did," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't recommend it. Falling gets kinda boring after a while."

"What?" Hermione asked, pulling back and looking up at Harry.

He just shook his head in response. "I'll explain later. Now, what's this about getting out of here?" he asked, as he released his wife.

"Well, we seem to be stuck in this room," Draco explained as he walked over and shook Harry's hand. "I don't see that as much of a problem anymore though." He gestured toward the door. "We can't get this thing open-"

"_Open,_" Harry hissed at the door in parseltongue, causing it to groan and shift open in a shower of dust and light debris. "There," he added, "you just need to have the right touch."

"That's what I was about to say," Draco complained.

The three exited the antechamber, Hermione clinging to Harry's side as they walked. As they emerged from the passage into the main Chamber of Secrets, they found members of the Order of the Gold Cross deep in conference, huddled together in the center of the Chamber.

Putting a finger to his lips as a sign to Draco and Hermione, Harry broke away from the other two and crept up to the huddle. He then threw his arms over the shoulders of Remus on one side and Sirius on the other, and shoved his way into the group.

"What're you talking about?" Harry asked loudly, interrupting the conversation.

"Harry!" Sirius shrieked, jumping back slightly. "How in the hell did you get here?"

"I walked through the door," Harry replied casually. "You know Sirius, you scream like a girl."

"Sod off. No, really, what are you doing here? Last we heard was that you were dead. Of course, I knew that could never the be the case but Draco said you were dead and Emma believed him and Hermione and Draco couldn't get out of that little room so we had to ask the goblins for help but we haven't heard anything back from them-"

"Sirius," Harry interrupted, "you're rambling. Calm down, take a deep breath, and talk to me like I'm a normal person. I'm not some pretty girl you need to get flustered around."

Sirius smacked Harry on the back of the head in response, chuckling as he did so.

"Actually," Harry continued, "it's a long story, and I really don't think that this is the best environment to tell it in. I think that the Great Hall may be the best place to continue this conversation."

Dan interrupted at this point. "I'm not sure that's the best idea, Harry. See, the Great Hall is currently…in use right now. Maybe one of the common rooms might be better?"

"What do you mean, in use?" Hermione interjected. "Who else is here that could use that much space? What, are the goblins using it for some kind of convention?"

"Not exactly," Dan replied. "If you want to pop in to the Great Hall on the way to somewhere else, we can do that. Suffice it to say that all of those converted lycans were stored…erm…held in the Great Hall after the original attack on the castle."

"Oh," Harry responded. "What, are they still there?"

"The goblins were taking charge of moving the bodies and reanimating them. They said it would take some time."

"Reanimate?" Hermione asked, bewildered. "Were they dead?"

"No, no," her father answered quickly. "I apologize. I didn't explain well enough. The goblins said that they were simply in a magically-induced coma, but were still alive. The goblins did not have the ability to break the coma here, however, and had to take the bodies back to their base under Gringotts. But they said that they should be able to reverse the condition."

"I see," Harry replied as he looked off into the distance, down the passage out of the Chamber of Secrets. "Should we go up to the Gryffindor common room then?" he asked. "I would say that we should just go back to the Manor, but I don't want to leave the castle all alone so soon. We don't know how many Death Eaters may still be lurking around here."

The group turned and made their way toward the exit from the Chamber.

"We could just let the goblins take care of them," Draco offered as they walked. "I mean, that is what they wanted to do the entire time after all."

"True, but I would feel better about staying here." As Harry finished speaking, he turned to the door to the Chamber of Secrets, which they had just passed through, and commanded it to close. As it did so, the other doors closed as well, sealing the Chamber once again.

"I'm amazed that there wasn't more resistance in the first place," Remus said. "It was as though they either didn't expect us to try and retake the castle, which I can't believe, or that there was something else at play."

Harry shook his head. "I think that Voldemort was betting on opening the portal to get his reinforcements and defend the castle that way. The lycans would only be viable defenders during the full moon, which was a few days ago, and the giants…well I don't think they wanted to stick around. That really only left a small number of Death Eaters."

At this point, the Order reached the chute from the girl's lavatory.

"How are we supposed to get back up there?" Draco asked.

"You didn't think of that before you jumped feet-first into it?" Harry retorted sarcastically.

"I think we were more concerned with your safety, Harry."

"_Stairs,"_ Harry hissed in parseltongue. Immediately, a set of stairs materialized along the sloped pipe. "That's how," he continued in English.

Less than five minutes later, the members of the Order of the Gold Cross entered the Gryffindor common room, and Harry claimed the large leather armchair nearest the portrait-hole. Hermione promptly hopped onto his lap and snuggled into his shoulder. Giving the others a sheepish look, Harry motioned for them to take a seat, despite the fact that there was only seating for roughly a dozen. In response to this fact, Draco and Luna sat down on the low table in the center of the furniture arrangement, while most of the other students leaned against walls throughout the room.

"So, are you going to tell us what happened now, Harry?" Emma asked from the sofa. "That's why we came all the way up here in the first place, isn't it?"

"Right," Harry replied. "Well, suffice it to say that having a large knife stabbed into your stomach is not particularly comfortable, nor is having your body pulled forward by another knife lodged in your shoulder."

"That happened to you?" Emma asked, covering her mouth in shock.

Harry shrugged in response. "I'm actually getting ahead of myself here. Voldemort, Tom, or whatever you want to call him, and I, fought for a few moments before Hermione intervened." She turned crimson as Harry glanced over at her. "She was then incapacitated, which distracted me."

"It was a stupid move on my part, Harry," she offered. "I'm sorry about that."

"You couldn't have known what would happen," Harry reassured her. "Besides, everything turned out alright in the end, didn't it?"

"Oi, Harry!" Sirius bellowed loudly, "you're a lousy storyteller. Just tell the tale all the way through without skipping around and we'll all be happy!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You never can take anything seriously, can you Sirius? This is a serious story and all you can think to do is crack jokes and make light?"

"Don't blame him, Harry," Remus interjected in Sirius's defense. Sirius nodded and smiled gratefully at Remus. However, Remus continued, "he never matured beyond the mentality of a first year. He can't help it."

"Hey!" Sirius shouted, "I resent that!"

"Anyway," Harry continued, as though he was never interrupted, "with Hermione down, Voldemort took advantage of the situation and disarmed me. He then muttered some tripe about needing my blood to draw the runes to activate the portal or some other rubbish like that, and stabbed me in the shoulder. I'm still not sure what purpose that served."

"Open wound, Harry," Hermione suggested. "Blood comes from open wounds, remember?"

"I just love how everyone is so sarcastic considering what just happened. Pressing on, up until this point, I had thought that Lucius had somehow managed to kidnap Elizabeth and had brought her down to the chamber to use against me. But Draco kindly proved otherwise when he used my name to address me. Elizabeth never does that."

"Pretty clever if you ask me," Draco boasted.

"Nobody did," Harry retorted. "Besides, your impression of Elizabeth's voice is awful. I don't know how Lucius mistook you for her."

"I never talked to him!"

"Hm, that would do it then," Harry pondered. "So, after I realized that Elizabeth wasn't actually there, all of Lucius's threats seemed somewhat hollow. So I tackled Voldemort into the portal, earning another knife to my gut in the process. That probably would have killed me if the portal didn't. Voldemort's final act was to grab at the knife in my shoulder and pull me in with him. I'm surprised the knife didn't come out in the process."

"It was serrated and twisted in there, Harry. I'm sure that played a part," Hermione informed him.

"Maybe. So I fell through the portal along with Voldemort, ending the possibility of any more atrocities at his hands."

"And?" Dan prodded. "What happened next? You can't just tell us that you died while you're sitting here in front of us. I may be an old fool, but even I can see that the maths here don't add up."

"Yeah, I was hoping you would forget about that," Harry said sheepishly, running a hand through his ebony locks. "Well, I met a very powerful being who explained that I had been a good little boy and had been given a second chance at life. Er, make that third chance. And here I am."

Everyone stared at Harry in response, blinking in disbelief.

"That's it?" Dan asked. "You're not going to give us any more than that?"

"I don't think it's really appropriate," Harry explained. "I died, but it wasn't my time. I think that about sums it up."

Emma glanced between the two before speaking up. "So then it's over now? It's really over?"

Harry nodded. "That's right. We're rid of the great bloody ponce forever."

"So then what are you going to do now?" Sirius asked. "Forgive me for being blunt, Harry, but up until now, your entire life has been spent on one task: ridding the world of Voldemort. Now that he's gone, what are you going to do?"

"Well, there are a few things I wanted to discuss with Minerva. But aside from that, I just want to rest. Maybe take a holiday somewhere."

"You just went to the States," Sirius objected.

"And what a vacation that ended up being, eh? We were attacked by Death Eaters and interrogated by the American government. Not exactly what I could call a holiday."

"Where do you want to go, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," he answered, shrugging. "It was just an idea. Something to consider going forward." He looked up at the rest of the group. "For now, I think Hermione and I should get back to the Manor. I think we should let Minerva and Elizabeth know the good news."

"Right," Emma replied. "I think at least Dan and I will stay here. We should still have our things up in our tower after all."

Dan shrugged in agreement with his wife as Harry and Hermione rose and exited the common room.

* * *

With a quiet pop, Harry and Hermione appeared outside the massive front portico of Potter Manor. Harry opened the door for Hermione and entered behind her, only to find the large foyer empty. Hermione glanced over at Harry and shook her head at him.

"What, did you expect them to be waiting for us in the entry?" she asked.

Harry looked at the ground sheepishly. "Not really. But I just wanted to be able to make an entrance."

"Really? That's what you're worried about? You can stroke your ego another time. Right now, get your head out of your arse and let's find them, alright?"

"Yes, dear."

"And don't call me dear," she added.

"Yes, Mione."

"Better."

As they spoke, they climbed the grand staircase toward the second floor, which housed the bedrooms. The downstairs area had seemed too quiet, indicating that the two other residents of the Manor would be upstairs.

* * *

Meanwhile, upstairs in the Manor, Elizabeth was laying on the bed in her room, staring idly at the ceiling. While she knew that she wouldn't be of much help, there was a part of her that had wanted to go off to Hogwarts with the Order. But instead, she was left behind like a little child, which, while she grudgingly admitted was partially the case, seemed unfair. At least, she thought, Minerva had stayed behind with her. Of course, Elizabeth understood why, since only four days before, Minerva's husband had been killed at Hogwarts. As the school now held too many painful memories, it would be too difficult for Minerva to return so soon.

It had been several hours since she and Minerva had been left alone at Potter Manor, and the time had seemed to crawl by for Elizabeth. Despite this, she had yet to encounter Minerva during that entire time.

As these thoughts floated through her mind, the door to her room opened, causing Elizabeth to sit up quickly and turn to the door, just as the elusive Minerva entered.

"Is something wrong, Grandma?" Elizabeth asked, having adopted Harry's form of addressing the older woman.

The newcomer did not answer immediately; instead she sat down on the opposite side of the bed, facing away from the door. Elizabeth scooted along to the bed to the edge to sit alongside Minerva.

"I'm considering going to Hogwarts," Minerva said finally.

"What?" Elizabeth balked. "I thought you were going to stay here…for a number of reasons," she added diplomatically.

"That was the idea originally. But I have spent the last few hours thinking it over, and now realize that I don't think I can stay here now."

"Why? I thought you thought it would be too painful?" Minerva sighed at Elizabeth's last statement, causing the latter to battle a wave of shame at her own tactlessness. "Sorry," she added softly.

"No, you were completely right. I did think it would be too painful, for several reasons. I haven't seen the castle since we lost it and Albus was killed. But at the same time, I am a grown woman, and I don't think that I should be running away from grief. I figure that I'll have to face it eventually; I can't stay away from Hogwarts forever. I also have to consider what Albus would want. Would he approve if I were to run away and not face his death or, to look at the grand scheme of things, the evil that had taken over the castle?"

"He would have wanted you to do whatever you felt comfortable with," a voice drifted from the doorway.

Minerva and Elizabeth turned their heads to see Harry and Hermione standing in the doorway, eyes full of sorrow.

"I don't think he'd want you to fuss over his death," Harry continued. "Albus wasn't one to worry over trivial things, nor did he have a large ego. I don't think he would have cared. What I think he would have cared about though, is your happiness, and how you felt. I think he placed your comfort and wellbeing over his own, and that would still be his mindset if he were here today."

"Maybe you're right, Harry. But enough of that," Minerva replied. "How did things go at Hogwarts?"

"Well, here's the short version," Harry began, "we won. It's over."

"The Dark Lord is dead?" Minerva asked, her voice laced with hope.

"That's right. In the end he finally got to experience the portal he was so desperately seeking."

"What about the portal itself? Is it still there?"

"It's not working anymore," Hermione interjected. "After Voldemort fell through, it stopped working. I'm not sure why though."

"It served its purpose," Harry suggested quietly, staring out the large window opposite the door.

"Was that something you were told?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "More like an assumption. A hunch if you will. The portal could have been left alone and could have been left intact, but that would only have left it for someone else to discover far in the future. We couldn't have done anything to prevent it from being used again in the future, and there may not be anyone who could then either. I think that leaving the portal in place just wasn't part of the plan," he finished, emphasizing the last word.

The quartet fell into silence for several moments as Harry's words were considered and ramifications of the day's events were pondered.

Finally, Minerva broke the silence.

"Did…did you find a body?" she asked in an uncharacteristically timid fashion.

Harry hung and shook his head in the negative. "No," he answered, "as much as we might have liked to in order to provide closure, I think Voldemort wanted the exact opposite. I don't think he left a body on purpose. No matter though. We will still have a service on the castle grounds, body or no body. It's the least we can do."

* * *

The memorial service was held four days later in the late afternoon sun of the Hogwarts grounds. With the castle setting the backdrop for the service, a large crowd of students, ministry officials, and well-wishers had gathered to pay their final respects to the man who had ended one war against a Dark Lord, and fought through another.

Harry had provided the eulogy at the request of Minerva, who could not bring herself to speak when the time came. Harry had acquiesced, and gave a light-hearted tribute to the former Headmaster of Hogwarts, peppering his remarks with humorous anecdotes and stories.

As the crowd dispersed following the service, Harry found himself sitting on a rock near the edge of the Great Lake, overlooking the serene expanse of water. His thoughts drifted towards the future, and what he was going to do with his life now that he had rid the world of Voldemort.

For Harry, the past decade and a half of his two lives had been dedicated to one purpose. But now that purpose, that driving force behind his life, was gone. What was he going to do with the years he had left?

Suddenly, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. Jerked away from his thoughts, he glanced up to find Minerva standing beside him, staring across the surface of the lake.

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered, never lowering her gaze.

"You're welcome," he replied just as quietly, shifting his attention back to the lake. "What will you do now?" he asked in an attempt to spur conversation.

Minerva sighed and looked back at the castle. "Rebuild," she replied, as she saw the poor state of the castle. One tower was in ruins, the great front gate destroyed, and the grounds plagued by craters and scorch marks.

"The inside is worse than the outside too," Harry commented. This was Minerva's first visit to Hogwarts since Albus's death, and Harry assumed that she had not been inside yet.

"I know," she replied sadly. "I looked around inside before the service. It will take time to repair everything, and I'm not sure that we can reopen by September first."

"It'll be ready in time," Harry reassured her. "The worst-case scenario is that part of the castle doesn't get used at the beginning of term. There were enough empty classrooms before that we could spare them now. I'm sure we'll be able to manage, especially with you at the helm," he added pointedly.

Minerva glanced down at Harry, raising a single eyebrow as if to question him. "Harry, you are the Headmaster now. Albus made sure of that."

"No," Harry argued, shaking his head. "I can't be the Headmaster. How would it look for someone who is not quite sixteen years old to be the Headmaster of the most prestigious magical school in Europe? What qualifications do I have, outside of defeating a Dark Lord, that I could make public? I was only barely accepted as a professor as it is. Being Headmaster is an entirely different issue all together."

"But you lead the Order against Voldemort-"

"Minerva…grandma," Harry began slowly, "I want you to take over as Headmistress." As she opened her mouth to protest, Harry raised his hand to silence her. "Temporarily. I know that you don't want the position. I know you like to teach rather than hold some bureaucratic position. I'm just asking you to take the position until I legally come of age. Then we can go from there."

Minerva removed her hand from Harry's shoulder and took a step back. "I'll consider it, Harry. Like you said, it's not my ideal position. But for you, I'll consider it." She paused for a moment before continuing. "But have you given any thought to what you want to do with your life now?"

"That's what I was doing here originally," Harry answered. "I mean, my life seems kind of…empty, for lack of a better term. I know I should be happy that Voldemort's gone. And believe me, I am. But killing him has been the goal of my entire life for so long that I feel kind of…empty now."

"Empty, Harry?" Minerva repeated back, bewildered. "Of all the people here today, Harry, you have the least right to say that your life is empty. Just look at what you have. You have a family, something you didn't really have a few years ago. Besides that, you are extremely lucky for your age. Normally, I wouldn't say this to someone your age, but you are lucky that, at your age, you have a daughter, and a wife that love you very much. There are people who would give everything to have what you have right now. So don't go discounting that."

Harry was silent in response, pondering her words. At his silence, Minerva removed her hand from his shoulder and turned to leave.

"Wait," he called out as she began to walk away. Minerva turned slightly toward him, waiting for him to continue. "Can you send Hermione over here?" he asked finally. Minerva nodded silently and turned again. "And can you keep an eye on Elizabeth too, just in case we lose track of time?"

Facing away from Harry, Minerva smirked slightly before nodding once again and walking away. Harry turned his attention back to the lake, whose surface was simmering under the light of the sinking sun.

He was once again startled out of his reverie by another hand on his shoulder a moment later.

"You wanted to see me, Harry?" Hermione asked from next to him.

"Yeah," he replied, standing from his perch on the rock.

Without warning, he spun and embraced Hermione tightly as he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. Startled, Hermione initially began to pull away, but then leaned in and returned the kiss with equal fire.

The two separated a moment later, panting, with foreheads pressed together.

"That was…unexpected," Hermione observed. "Where did that come from?"

"I was just reminded of how lucky I am to have you," Harry replied. "I also asked Minerva to keep an eye on Elizabeth too," he continued as he picked Hermione up and planted another quick kiss on her lips.

Hermione giggled softly at his antics before her tone turned serious once more. "What for?" she asked.

"Hermione, have you ever heard of the phenomenon that, after a near-death experience, one feels the primal urge to reproduce?" Harry asked as he carried her toward the edge of the wards.

"Of course I have. What does that have to do…Harry! That was days ago! You can't expect…I thought we were going to wait…" She was silenced by another peck as Harry stopped moving.

"I would say that there's no time like the present," he began. "But I know that we agreed to wait until we were at least seventeen. That said, I'm always one who believes that you can't be successful at something without lots and lots of practice," he finished slyly.

Hermione giggled once more as the two disappeared in a soft pop.

* * *

**Four Years Later**

**September 1, 2000**

"Hufflepuff!" the Sorting Hat called, sorting eleven year old Jeremy Yangley and ending the ceremony. The young first year ran over to his new housemates and sat down, as the Sorting Hat and stool were removed from the front of the Great Hall. Idle chatter filled the Hall as summer stories were exchanged, jokes were told, and houses began to assimilate their newest members.

Amid the dull murmur that permeated the Great Hall, a lone figure rose from the seat at the center of the Head Table and walked to the lectern situated at the front of the expansive room. All eyes shifted to the podium as the figure raised their hands to request silence. Their request was quickly granted. Hundreds of varied, young eyes met a single pair of green as they anxiously awaited his words.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," he began, "as we welcome the first students of the new millennium. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we hope that this new millennium is more peaceful than the last. But let's not get bogged down in the unpleasant and distasteful; there is much to discuss. With a new millennium come new changes in both our staff and educational program. So let me first introduce our new professor of Muggle Studies. As many of you may know, Professor Burbage, who had been with us for a few years, is expecting a new addition to her family, and decided to leave us to tend to her growing family. We wish her all the best. However, our new professor sports excellent qualifications as well. Let me introduce Dan Granger, our newest professor of Muggle Studies!"

Dan rose from his seat at the staff table to a round of applause from the student body. He gave a small wave before sitting back down next to Minerva Dumbledore, two seats to the left of the Headmaster's seat.

"Now, as I mentioned before," the Headmaster continued, "we have made some changes to our program. The first is the addition of two new classes to our roster. Both of these classes will be required for all students in all years." A wave of groans swept through the Great Hall. When it had passed, he pressed on. "However, classes have been shortened from ninety minutes per period to sixty, in order to make up for the extra course load. So first, teaching biology, or the study of the body and its workings, is Dr. Emma Granger!"

Emma, having been sitting on the other side of her husband, stood and smiled at the student body before sitting back down.

"Dr. Granger is eminently qualified to teach this course, as she is a certified healer in the muggle world, and has spent the last several years studying magical physiology. Now, our second new course is also related to the muggle world. For too long, the magical world has been trailing behind the muggle world in many areas, including innovation and knowledge of the physical world. Many of our traditions are still rooted in antiquated beliefs and ideals. This new course is long overdue and is something that will truly help in our interactions with the muggle world as we forge a path into the future. So, starting this term, we will begin offering mathematics courses for all years. This course will be taught by a familiar face to you all. Leaving her position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Hermione Potter will be teaching all seven levels of the new class, beginning with basic arithmetic for the first years, and working up from there."

Hermione, seated immediately to the right of the Headmaster's chair, did not stand, but nodded at the students. She would have waved, but her hands were occupied by a small, squirming bundle in her arms.

"Finally, some of you most astute students may have noticed that we now have an empty teaching position for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The more observant students may also have noticed that there is a new face up here at the staff table. Here to bring his unique perspective on defense as well as combating the Dark Arts, hailing from the United States of America, we have Professor Michael Gladstone, formerly of the U.S. Department of Magic!"

From the far end of the table, Gladstone stood, and walked around the table to shake the Headmaster's hand.

"I want everyone to join me in welcoming Professor Gladstone, along with his wife Hannah, and sons Jeremiah and Ethan, to Hogwarts. Gryffindor house especially, since you were the proud recipients of Ethan Gladstone, who was sorted tonight. Thank you for joining us, Professor Gladstone."

"Thank you, _Headmaster_," Gladstone replied, winking at the last word before he returned to his seat.

The Headmaster turned back to his captive audience. "I only have a few more announcements before we eat, so please be patient. A couple of weeks ago, we had our first staff meeting with the new members of the faculty here. One of the suggestions brought forward by Professor Granger…that is Dan Granger," he corrected, realizing the potential for confusion, "was to allow the establishment of student clubs and societies. With the shortening of class periods, we hope that these student groups will help supplement what we are already teaching. I can remember that, in past years, such clubs have been against the rules of the school, even if they were necessary. If you are interested in forming such a club, or just want more information, speak with Professor Dumbledore. As Deputy Headmistress, she has been put in charge of student groups."

The Headmaster took a deep breath after his most recent announcement, and then forged on. "Finally, I just wanted to reiterate the fact that my office is always open. What I've talked about here tonight is by no means the end of the changes for this year. If you have an idea that you think has merit, don't hesitate to bring it to me. We as a faculty are not so dense or egotistical to think that we know what is best for the running of this school. We need your help as well in order to make the most of the opportunity we have together. With that, I think we've finished with the announcements. I'm sure the house elves have prepared a wonderful dinner for us, so I won't hold it back any longer."

With that, he stepped away from the lectern and walked around the staff table towards the Headmaster's chair. He stopped at his seat and leaned down to Hermione, who pecked him quickly on the lips.

"You did great, Harry," she said proudly. "Sorry I couldn't stand and wave when you talked about me, but I couldn't get anyone to watch Isaac here." She nodded toward the bundle in her arms.

"That's alright," Harry replied as he sat down in his seat. But as soon as he touched the chair, he promptly stood back up and addressed the school.

"I'm sorry, I forgot something," he announced, taking notice of the still-missing food. "I just wanted to say a few more words," he added, glancing over each shoulder and smiling knowingly at Hermione and Minerva, respectively.

He paused for dramatic effect briefly. "And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!" He chuckled to himself for a moment before continuing. "Now, everyone," he said as he raised his hands for emphasis, "tuck in!"

**The End**

* * *

Harry Potter and the Divine Plan: Post Mortem

…**and miles to go before I sleep**

So ends my first story. Well, I can't say that, since I wrote short, terrible stories many years ago as I went through some or my earlier school years. But this was the first serious piece of fiction I've ever written, and of that, I am proud. For those of you who have stuck with this story since the fall of 2009 when I started it, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me in this endeavor. If you are new to this story, I want to thank you equally for making it this far. But even though it is complete, I am not against editing parts of this story for mechanics if reviews point out a glaring flaw that I missed. At this point though, I just wanted to write about the story, since the story itself is finished, including some of the challenges as well as some of the high points of this project. I will also touch on my next story as well. If any of you are interested, please read on. I can tell you that this note may ruin some of the magic of this story (if there was any to begin with), as it goes through the entire writing process. If that is not what you want, then you might not want to continue reading, or jus skip to the last couple of paragraphs. Either way, this will be my final author's note for this story.

In one of my previous author's notes, I quoted J.R.R. Tolkien when I said that "The tale grew in the telling." This is one of the most accurate things I can say about writing this story. Originally, when I set out, the outline I had for this story was literally a list of bullet points of story elements that I thought would be interesting or cool. I then dove right into the writing of chapter one and didn't look back. Now that I think about it though, that may not have been the best idea. It then led to story elements that seemed to be thrown in just for the sake of it. At times, I would even read reviews and think "that's a good idea," and "how can I shoehorn that in?" I realize that all of these things were due to the fact that this was my first time writing something of this complexity, as well as a severe lack of preparation. As a result of this, there are likely a large number of plot holes throughout the story. Many of these are simply the result of me forgetting or missing something. However, part of the problem comes from the fact that this is a time-travel story. In retrospect, it might not have been the wisest move to make my first story a time-travel story, as there are a large number of additional complications that come into play in such a story. That said, I am genuinely proud of the fact that this story has attracted as much positive feedback as it has, and I have you to thank for that.

As I look back on various parts of this story, I realize that I committed one of the gravest sins possible, in my own eyes, that is. I've read many, if not most of the Harry/Hermione stories on this site, and one of the things that just seems to rub me the wrong way is a Harry/Hermione relationship that just seems to suddenly exist. By this, I mean a story that starts, and suddenly Harry and Hermione both admit that they have loved each other for as long as they could remember, but could never admit it. In these stories, Harry and Hermione are oftentimes married at a very young age, or share a soul bond. Now, I don't mean any offense to any author who chooses these plot devices. I now have infinite respect for the other authors on this site, and I applaud them for taking up the pen at all. In fact, many of these types of stories are very well written and tell a compelling tale. But I felt, and still feel that this plot element seems unnatural and does not allow or show a natural progression of the relationship between the two main characters. However, that is exactly what I did in this story. In the end, it seemed to have worked out, but it is still something that has bugged me. This is something that I will address in my next project, which I will discuss shortly.

If I had to choose one thing that I felt was strongest about this story though, it would be the characters. I feel that I was able to humanize the characters in a way that some stories are not able. Now, I wasn't able to necessarily give these characters emotional depth, a shortcoming that I hope to address in the future, but I feel that I was able to make them seem real, especially through their dialogue. Writing dialogue is one of my favorite things to do, in part because it just seems natural. I am able to visualize a conversation, complete with witty banter, and quickly transcribe that. At the same time, however, while I am able to visualize events, such as epic battle scenes, I am not quite as able to transcribe those. Some of you may have noticed this when reading the story. I still am not happy with the major battle scenes in the story. But no matter how many times I rewrite and re-edit them, I still can't seem to get them right. In the end then, I just have to send them out to pasture as they are. Based on how I write and develop battle scenes then, I think that I could choreograph action sequences for movies, but I couldn't write them into the script.

At this point in the post-mortem, it seems as though I'm jumping around a bit, and that is the case. I am simply talking about things that came up over the course of this story, and some of the things that I've learned as I've reflected back on the writing process. There are still a few things I wanted to talk about though.

As I mentioned before, I do want to thank all of you who have read through the entirety of this story. Some of you may remember, if you've been with this story from the early days, that there was a considerably long hiatus in this story. When I originally started this story, it was due to the fact that I had a large amount of free time as I took a term off of university, just as a sort of break. However, as school resumed, my free time began to dwindle. This was during the beginning of 2010, and the story was already quite far along (we were in the mid-20's as far as chapters go at that point). At one point, I posted that I was going to finish the story and post the remainder of it at the same time. This was supposed to give me the opportunity to develop the ending of the story in peace, and prevent me from changing it due to reviewer suggestions. However, it only led to there being no updates at all. Months went by, and by putting light work into the story at odd intervals, I eventually got a short bit into chapter 29 by the summer of 2010. Then, I just stopped. I hit a wall and couldn't figure out how to write what I wanted. Many different endings came and went. For example, the original ending of this story went something like this:

The portal would actually be opened and a massive horde of Dementors emerging and destroying the castle. A massive battle would take place on the grounds, with the side of good losing ground quickly. Suddenly, the sky would literally open up and a flock of the heavenly host (angels) would come down and battle the Dementors and push them back into the portal. They would then destroy the portal and, through some kind of divine magic, restore Hogwarts to its former glory.

My original thought was that I needed some big, epic ending to this story, and this certainly seemed to fit the bill. This was the intended ending for the story for most of 2010, and managed to survive in one form or another for a long period of time.

However, as 2010 came to a close, I began to toy with different ideas for new stories that seemed to pop up in my mind over and over. I came to really like these ideas, and quickly began to develop them somewhat, deciding on various details and working on the logistics of them. As a result, the Divine Plan took a place on the back burner, eventually to be forgotten. While none of these new story ideas were written (yet), they excited me more than my current story, to the point where I decided to dump this story all together. At one point, I made the decision to delete this story and close off my account and create a new penname and write my new story. However, the day I went to do this, I read some of the new reviews for this story, which I had not checked in months, only to find some readers asking for me to update. Since I already had a couple extra chapters completed at the time, I decided to do so.

After this, I abandoned the story again, but not quite to the degree of the previous time. At this point, I made up my mind to post any new stories under this penname. But since I was completely against having more than one story in progress at any given time, I had to first finish this story. With this decision made, my dedication to this story was renewed, and I quickly posted chapter 28 at this point.

At this point in the story's development, chapter 29 was several pages long, and was written up to the point of Dan, Emma, and Draco leaving Potter Manor for Hogwarts. That is where that chapter had been for nearly a year. That is an extremely long period of time after which to pick up a work in progress, and was quite difficult for me as well. As a result, some aspects of the story may not have been incorporated into these final two chapters, due simply to being forgotten. At the same time, the ending was toned down and simplified, focusing instead on a rivalry between Harry and Voldemort. This is, as you know, how the story ultimately ended. Harry dying and coming back to life though, was planned from the very beginning, in an attempt to bring the story full-circle.

So, here we are in the present then. Over the course of writing this story, I have learned a great deal about both my writing style and the effort it takes to put together a project of this magnitude. Given the opportunity to do it all again, I think that I might focus on a shorter story as a first story, instead of jumping into a massive 300,000 word behemoth. But that's all water under the bridge now. What's important, though, are the lessons to be learned here. As I write this, I hope that I will retain the lessons learned from this story, but more importantly, I am writing these here in order to help any other aspiring authors out there. So, here are the top lessons I learned from writing Harry Potter and the Divine Plan:

1. Planning is key. Before starting to write the story proper, have a complete outline of what you want to happen and when. Otherwise, the story may begin to meander and plot elements may be introduced that have no place in the story and are not used again.

2. Reviewers are your friends, but they are not writing the story. I can now understand why authors ask for reviews when posting chapters: they serve as encouragement and are the reason we write. But ultimately, reviewers are not the ones who are writing the story. If they don't approve of something you write, that is their responsibility. While there may be genuine issues with the story or mechanics, it is a fact that everyone has their own tastes. As an author, you cannot please everyone, nor should you try. I made this mistake by changing plot elements to cater to reviews. In the end, some plot points were introduced only to fade away and never be used again.

3. Stick with it. I can say from experience now that the early parts of writing a new story are some of the most fun I have ever had. But as the story wears on, the end seems further and further away. Eventually, I almost gave up. In fact, for a while I did. Don't give up. If you eventually finish your epic, your feeling of accomplishment will be incredible. I'm still riding that wave now.

4. Play to your strengths as a writer. As I wrote this story, I wanted to make it an epic beast of a story, à la Lord of the Rings, with massive battles and epic quotes. But as I wrote those battles, none of them seemed to meet my expectations. In the end, I realized that writing a massive epic may not play to my greatest writing strengths. Instead, I found that I had much more fun writing dialogue, which seemed to turn out much better. Before writing, know your strengths as a writer, and design a story which caters to those.

5. Exposition must be natural. When I first started this story, many reviewers asked for background about what was happening; what I considered canon. I had failed to introduce the story before jumping right in. At the same time, I felt that tapping on the fourth wall would be a good way to explain the story, in a somewhat humorous manner. But as a result, exposition in this story, at times at least, seemed forced and unnatural. Think of the stereotypical Bond movie. The villain always explains his diabolical plan to the hero instead of taking action. I admit that I fell prey to this as well. It just doesn't seem natural.

So those are the top five lessons that I learned from writing this story. As I begin to lay the foundation for my next piece of writing, I hope to be able to improve in all of these areas. But I also hope that they are a help to anyone who might still be reading this massive note.

For those of you who have stuck with me through my ramblings here, I thank you. Using all of the lessons I outlined above, in addition to the other problems I encountered that have already been discussed, I hope to be able to craft a far superior second story. That is what I want to discuss now. My next story will not be a sequel to this story. I cannot foresee any circumstances that would warrant a sequel to this story, as I consider it concluded. That said, I am currently planning my next work to consist of four parts, each a separate story. Each of these stories will be part of a much larger storyline, but, as of right now, should each be able to be read on their own without reading any of the others. Granted, there will be story elements that are common to all of them, so it would be best to read every part. But each story will have its own unique "gimmick," for lack of a better term, that separates it from the others. Each story will also be considerably shorter than this one (at least at this point in the planning phase).

That said, I will say that the first part is currently deep in the outlining phase of development, with the outline nearing the halfway mark (each chapter's outline is about one page). At this point, I do have tentative titles for the stories, which, in order, are: Stealing Time, Playing Time, Killing Time, and Passing Time. Do take note that time travel may or may not play a part in these stories. If it does, it will not be the same as in the Divine Plan. I also want to have more fun with these stories, at least the first one. Stealing Time is planned to be a much lighter story than the Divine Plan was (except for at certain points such as the pranks). I find that one of my strengths is in sarcastic humor, so I hope to play to that much more in the future.

The other thing about these stories is that yes, they will be Harry/Hermione stories once again. I don't think I could bring myself to ship anything else. That said, the relationship between the two will be much different than what we experienced here. Instead of being immediate and without background, the main focus of the entire series will be on the development of the Harry/Hermione relationship, starting simply as friends. I hope to be able to accurately and realistically portray their developing relationship in a way that I wasn't able to do in this story.

So, considering the fact that it is nearly 2 A.M. at this point and I am getting tired, I think that we have reached the end of this post mortem (this, of course, explains the title of this post mortem, taken from poet Robert Frost). Once again, I thank all of you for making it this far and for putting up with my inane ramblings. While I hope that there is at least one of you who found this interesting, for the rest of you, thank you very much for reading this story. I hope that at least some of you will follow me on my next writing adventure. But if this is your stop, thank you for riding. So I say to all of you out there reading: good night, good luck, and I hope to see you again in the near future.

Thank you,

Corruo


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